Stories
What Animal Can ‘Say’ 14 Different Words?
A juvenile makes 14 distinct sounds, each with a different meaning, just shy of the 22 noises used by gorillas.
Think of it like 14 different words used to communicate with a nearby adult. The adult males and females themselves live with the juveniles to feed them, protect them, and help them grow. They’re considered a semi-social organisms, living in small family groups. Sounds like a fairly advanced animal, right?
So what is it- A bird? A rodent? A dog? Here’s a hint- it lives in rotting wood and has six legs.
Yes, it is an insect. Odontotaenius disjunctus, commonly known as a bess beetle (or crying beetle), and has the most advanced sound-based communication system known in arthropods. You can find it under a moist rotting log anywhere from here in the Amazon up to New York. This beetle is large (~2 inches) and widespread and would be quite noticeable if it weren’t for its rather hidden natural history.
Flip enough rotting logs, dig through enough decaying leaves, and you’ll eventually find a group of bess beetles get a look inside their fascinating life.. You’ll see a few adults, many grub-like larvae, and some round clumps of dirt that contain developing pupae. Poke around a bit, and the sounds begin. The beetle is known locally as a ‘crying beetle’ due to its ability to make a high-pitched whiny alarm call if you disturb it (like by picking it up). But the alarm noise from the adults isn’t the interesting one; what’s fascinating are the fourteen almost inaudible squeaks that the larvae make below.
All insects have six legs, including their larvae. But take a close look at these beetle larvae, you’ll see only two pairs of legs, for a total of four- so what happened to the other two? Over the course of evolution and thousands and thousands of years, the back pair of legs got smaller. Much smaller. They’re no longer used for moving around in dirt; rather they’re used to meaningfully strum a structure called a plectrum.
Bess beetle larva. Note only 2 pairs of legs.
Photo by Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org.
Imagine a tiny stump of a leg strumming a comb in various directions- that’s what is happening between the hind leg and the plectrum. As the stump hits the teeth of the comb at different angles or different timespans, the frequency of the sound changes ever so slightly, resulting in overall different noise, or call.
Researchers listening in found that there were 14 distinct noises made in a variety of situations via this stump-and-plectrum combo.
What we don’t yet have is a translator. Does one larva squeak mean “feed me!” (which adults do by defecating mostly broken down wood)? Another angle strummed, “Protect me! Someone lifted the log” or “Help me molt”?
Who knows. What we do know is this is a remarkably advanced sound-based communication system for an insect. Other insects stand out by their use of things like body movements or scented pheromones (ants and bees) to deliver complex bits of information, so it’s no surprise that an insect has evolved the ability to do that by making a noise, especially when living in a medium like soil in which movement is hardly visible and pheromones slow to disperse.
Some day, some scientists will figure out what these larvae are saying. And how fascinating that will be.
Until then, flip a log, take a peek at this miniature advanced world, appreciate the wonders of nature, and don’t forget to (gently) put the log back in place.
By Phil Torres
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What our guest say
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- Valuation Excellent
- 5/5
Sue_szb April 2026
Beam May 2026
David Staro May 2026
Serg Averkin April 2026
Carlotta May 2026
Asha S May 2026
Laurence W April 2026
Isobel Griffith April 2026
Kay T April 2026
Nancy Hodgson March 2026
Lesly Lagos March 2026
Batya K. February 2026
Wow what an experience! If you want to be fully immersed in Amazon life in a wonderful , comfortable eco lodge, and not have expectations of a 5 star city hotel (I'm not sure why you would, but some reviewers seemed disappointed it wasn't!) you will love this. You will be in a group, 6 in ours, but you don't all have to do the same activities, you just join another group. Plenty of spaces to chill and downtime if you need it...its hot and humid! There's a fan in the room and I heard the superior rooms have a fan under the mozzie net. Take a torch! We were never bitten, used deet repellent only. They provide rubber boots if you want them, some of the trails were very muddy, but we managed in our walking boots. We loved the open wall to the jungle, despite some bugs, but not too many surprisingly. Sooooo much wildlife, all sorts of monkeys, otters, turtles, caiman, different birds, capybara etc. Luis M was our guide, a local, and he could spot a spider from 5 metres I'm sure... great sense of humour and a wealth of knowledge, loved him. We spent 3 nights 20th-24th April, it rained on a couple of occasions but not much. Perfect holiday for an immersive wildlife experience! Read all
Beautiful lodge in the rainforest, very well maintained and clean. We had a lot of fun and excellent guides. The rooms and facilities were top-notch! Read all
We stayed at Posada Amazonas Lodge in May 2026, and it was a truly unique experience. It’s important to note that the concept is unlike a traditional hotel: the rooms (the lodge has around 30 in total) are built entirely of wood and open completely to the rainforest, with no windows. The walls are about two meters high, and everything is open-air, meaning you can hear your neighbors as well as the sounds of the forest throughout the night. There is a hot-water shower with drainage flowing through wooden beams beneath the floor, and the beds are protected with mosquito nets. The food is delicious and nutritious, and one pleasant surprise was the excellent Wi-Fi connection (Starlink) available both at the lodge and on the boats. The logistics are flawless from the moment you land in Puerto Maldonado, including a short car ride (accompanied by a security company) followed by a forty-minute cruise along the Tambopata River. The staff is incredibly friendly. Our guide, Luis M. (a member of the local community that manages the lodge), was simply outstanding, with eagle-eyed vision for spotting wildlife and always wearing a smile. Tour highlights: Canopy Tower: a 42-meter tower rising above the treetops with panoramic views. We loved seeing the river, the rainforest, and even the distant Andes Mountains on the horizon. We returned at night during a nocturnal wildlife tour, where we spotted tarantulas, white sloths, and tree frogs. Lake Tres Chimbadas: a peaceful catamaran ride (without a motor) where Luis showed us a group of red-bellied monkeys, giant otters, and caimans. The scenery and tranquility are incredible. Trek to the “Great Tree”: a forest hike where we saw deer, jaguar tracks, a three-toed sloth, and more wildlife. At the end of the trail, we reached the gigantic ceiba tree: around 500 years old, approximately 60 meters tall, and with an impressive 11-meter base diameter. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to experience the true Amazon! Read all
An exceptional experience that truly exceeded all expectations. What impressed me the most is that here they genuinely want to make your stay as comfortable as possible — and that, to me, is what real high-level service is all about. The guide really tries to fill every excursion with emotions and memorable moments, turning simple activities into meaningful experiences. The kitchen team puts great effort into variety and introduces you to Peruvian cuisine — it feels like a small гастрономic journey. Housekeeping works like invisible bees — you don’t notice them, but everything is always perfectly taken care of. Another big highlight is the comfort level: stable electricity and surprisingly good internet both on the way and at the lodge, powered by Starlink. Having this level of connectivity in the middle of the jungle is something truly special. From reception and the bar to the boat driver — everyone is genuinely warm and happy to have you. You can really feel that each person is a small but important part of one big system delivering outstanding eco-tourism service. Bravo — achieving this level of service in the wild is not easy, and it shows. This experience was very valuable for me and my family. I won’t get tired of thanking you for the emotions you gave us. Highly recommended. Dear travelers — don’t hesitate. Go, enjoy the incredible nature and the level of service. This is something you will remember for a lifetime. Read all
We had the most amazing time at Refugio Amazonas for 3 nights, with a huge thanks to our guide Juan Carlos! On the first afternoon we sat down and planned our activities, which we loved! We came face to face with hundreds of birds, tarantulas, leaf carrying ants spanning 10 meter motorways to work and deliver the leaves to the ant house for food, parasites, and even leaves that cause natural dyes on oxidation - we learned so much. Carlos was genuinly interested in showing us everything the jungle had to offer, humorous and caring too. Carlos knew anything and everything about what was around us, pointing out things and creatures that the untrained eye would miss, carrying a telescope at all times for us to see the birds, ensuring we got magical videos on our phones using the telescope! Read all
Many thanks to Refugio Amazonas for an unforgettable experience! Brenda and team were so wonderful and accommodating, and Alan was a great guide. Thank you for a memorable experience! :) Read all
We had an excellent time at Tambopata research center. We are tourists like most who now visit the center, but it’s great to know that you can support research and the local community by visiting a place like this. Our guide for our trip, Esau, was extremely knowledgeable and showed great passion for his job. He described it as a hobby and he would get very excited if you spotted a specific bird or a tree. His specific knowledge about each and every creature in the forest was very impressive and I would recommend asking for Esau to be your guide in the future if you plan to visit. The hotel itself is unique. You are in the middle of the Amazon rainforest - the accessibility to nature is second to none. There are no windows in the hotel rooms. We had bugs in our room, of course, but the mosquito nets keep everything out and, actually, we both slept very well. The bar staff, Harrison, is very knowledgeable with drinks and works very hard. The food isn’t the best you’re ever going to have, but you have to remind yourself you are in the middle of the rainforest and that it takes a 6 hour round trip to get to the nearest town, and so the job that the hotel does in respect of the food is actually intuitive and very good. I would recommend this hotel to my peers and I would love to visit again in a few years time. Read all
We just finished a 4-night stay at Tambopata Research Center and it was the highlight of our entire Peru trip. From the first email with Mariella to being picked up at the airport to the actual stay itself, every step was smooth and every employee was attentive. Having never stayed in a lodge like this (this remote or exclusive), we were a little nervous about what to expect. Our guide, Timo was INCREDIBLE at tailoring all the activities to us. When he found out we liked more adventurous hikes, he took us on walks through swamps, bamboo forests, and little-used trails while always keeping an eye out for monkeys, birds, and insects. His knowledge of the wildlife, plants, and history of the area was beyond what we hoped for and he truly made the experience worth it. Read all
Spent 4 nights in mid April. I had high expectations and was not disappointed. Our guide Carmen picked us up at the airport and we saw monkeys already on our way to the lodge. We had a wonderful stay with exceptional food and activities everyday. Our guide Carmen was great and our itinerary was based on her suggestions however we could decide on what we would like to see. Wildlife is abundant, however, sometimes difficult to spot and photograph due to the low light. It rained a lot despite April being considered a transitioning time to dry season. But come on ... it's the rainforest. The clear highlight are the macaws which you can hear all time and also see from the tower and at the leks. Read all
This trip was the highlight of our travels through peru. The lodge was absolutely 5 stars for everything. The room, food, people. We had a private guide, Allen, who grew up locally and really had deep knowledge of the land, the history, and the variety of plant and animal species in the jungle. His knowledge and passion were invaluable to our experience. There are a variety of tour companies and lodges you can book to visit the Amazon, however, I would only recommend Rainforest Expeditions as they are truly connected to the community and offer high quality first class amazon experience! Read all
We had a truly wonderful stay with Rainforest Expeditions. Everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming, and our guide was fantastic — very knowledgeable and passionate about the rainforest. We saw many animals, even from the boat, which made the experience unforgettable. Read all
I just spent 3 days here with my family. The research center surpassed all our expectations. I want to give a special shout out to Carlos who took such good care of us. He went above and beyond to make sure we werr comfortable. And he was always smiling. He made us feel so welcome. We had Erik as our guide who is so knowledgeable and experienced. We learned so much, saw so much wildlife. It really was a dream vacation. Thank you!! Read all
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