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Epic Camera Trap Photos From The Peruvian Amazon + Termites Attack!

TAMBOPATA, PERU 

Wildlife photographer Jeff Cremer got a big surprise the other day when he came back to check on his camera trap that he left out in the jungle to film rare animals. When he walked up to the camera he saw that a colony of termites had started building a nest inside and around his camera, destroying it in the process. “At first I thought that they only got at the outside of the camera and that it would be fine,” said Jeff, “But when I took the lens off I saw that they were inside the camera started building on the lens as well.  They even started eating the memory card that was inside the camera.”

 

What do you do in the jungle? Jeff is a wildlife photographer based in the Amazon jungle of southeastern Peru.Jeff Cremer Photographer

You can follow him on twitter @JCremerPhoto


What is a camera trap?
A camera trap is a remotely activated camera that is equipped with a motion sensor or an infrared sensor as a trigger. Camera trapping is a method for capturing wild animals on film when researchers are not present and has been used in ecological research for decades.

 


 

What can you tell us about the termites and why were they attracted to the camera? The termites look to be some sort of nasutitermes. The nasute termite genus Nasutitermes is widely distributed all over the tropical regions. They get their name because the soldier caste possesses a frontal projection called the nasus.

 

There are around 70 nasutiterme species in the neotropics.

 

Lucas Carnohan, a termite specialist, says “I’d guess they weren’t particularly drawn to the camera so much as Jeff happened to put the camera on the ground in a place with a lot of active termites. So they did what termites do and put muddy termite poo tunnels all over it while exploring the new terrain”

 

Termites play an important role in decomposition processes in tropical forest ecosystems. They affect the landscape and soil composition by breaking down the biomass with the aid of resident gut microbiota.

 

“In the Amazon, every single niche is exploited, including Canon camera bodies. Maybe because Jeff weatherproofed it so well the termites found it to be a suitable fortress to colonize.” says entomologist Aaron Pomerantz

 

 

Termites also put their muddy termite poo all over the lens.
Termites tried making their nest inside the camera

Termites tried making their nest inside the camera

 

Did the memory card survive? Did you get some good camera trap photos?
The memory card survived and I got some shots of some amazing and rare animals.

Puma

It seems like Mr. Puma was walking through the jungle one evening minding his own business when a camera took his picture. Mr. Puma turned towards the sound while the camera took another pic. He then walked right up to the camera and looked at it with a sad face, then walked off.  Puma is a huge iconic predator of the Amazon.  They are the fourth largest cat in the world with adults standing about 60 to 90 cm (24 to 35 in) tall at the shoulders. Pumas are, like most cats, metaturnal. That means that they sleep partly through the day and partly through the night. These agile yet powerful cats hunt by stalking and ambushing their prey. They like to feed on tapir but sometimes feed on smaller animals.

 

 

Mr. Puma checking out the camera

Mr. Puma checking out the camera

 

These “mini-jaguars” are an awesome find. They look very similar but have their differences.

Ocelot and Margay

Margay: smaller body size, longer tail, larger eyes, bigger, rounded ears (all in respect to body/head size).  Margay is nocturnal and spends most of their lives in the trees but sometimes comes down to hunt rats and other small mammals.
Ocelot: larger body size, shorter tail, smaller eyes, a bit more triangular smaller ears (in respect to general anatomy). The fur pattern is also distinctive in each species. Ocelot is also nocturnal but hunts prey on the ground.

MargayMargay

Ocelot

Ocelot

Amazonian Tapir

Amazonian Tapir – Tapirs are the largest mammals in the Amazon, but their large size doesn’t mean they’re easy to find. Tapirs are notoriously difficult to see with one Tapir researcher spending over a year in the field only to catch a glimpse of just one in person! These odd-looking creatures look similar to a horse but are actually more closely related to the Rhinoceros.

 

Adult tapir

A baby taper following its mom down the trail

 A baby taper following its mom down the trail

Spix Guan

A guan is an arboreal bird that somewhat resembles a turkey in size and shape. They are another sign of a healthy rainforest since in places where hunting occurs the large birds become easy and desired targets and quickly disappear.

Spix Guan

 

How did you know where to put the camera trap?

 

I spend a lot of time in the jungle hiking and going on expeditions. I came across what seemed to be some active trails that wildlife use close to the Tambopata river so I thought that it would be a good place for a camera trap.

 

What can you do to protect the camera in the future?

 

Some people modify pelican cases to fit their cameras and gear. I just ordered one.

 

By Jeff Cremer

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We had an excellent 5 night stay at TRC with two couples. The remote Lodge and accommodation are unique especially with the open walls to the jungle in the rooms. The guides were first rate with superb knowledge and their ability to spot fauna in the dense jungle was incredible. We saw many species of monkeys; macaws, parrots, tapirs, etc.. even lucky enough to spot a jaguar. Food and service was really good. While not cheap it was I think very good value for money. We really enjoyed all the hikes and citizen science activities as well, he trips on the river and the clay licks. Overall amazing experience! As it’s the jungle not a zoo, you can’t guarantee that you’ll see everything all the time so allow enough days to properly explore. Read all

A once-in-a-lifetime experience in the middle of the rainforest. From airport pickup in Puerto Maldonado to the lodge and back, everything was exceptionally well organised. Communication was clear throughout, with the team always explaining what would happen, where to be and what to take care of. The staff at both HQ and the lodge were incredibly attentive, making the entire stay feel completely carefree. At this price point, this is the level of service you expect, but it is still impressive to experience it in such a remote setting. The food was another highlight: very well curated and balanced, with plenty of options at every buffet and, surprisingly, we never had the same dish twice. Read all

This was an excellent experience!! Highly recommend if you’re interested in visiting the Amazon Rainforest and Tambopata region. Especially happy with our guide Miguel, who was highly professional, informative, and organized. It was an immersive adventure and we got to see so many unique plants and animals. 10/10! Read all

Amazing experience at Refugio Amazonas. Rooms were comfortable and clean. Great buffet spread every day. Staff were friendly and attentive. Our guide Alan was very informative. Overall would definitely recommend a visit! Read all

We stayed 3 nights at Posada Amazonas during our summer trip to Peru, and it was definitely one of the biggest highlights of the whole journey. The staff were incredibly warm and welcoming. Our guide, Joss, was professional, friendly and amazingly knowledgeable. Sometimes it honestly felt like he could communicate with the animals — he could spot black caimans or giant river otters from hundreds of metres away! The excursions were unforgettable. We saw beautiful macaws, giant river otters, capybaras, sloths, tarantulas, an anaconda, different species of monkeys, toucans and so much more. I especially loved the rainforest walks and joined both the daytime and night walks. Every walk felt completely different, and you never knew what you might find. What also made the stay special was the lodge’s involvement in scientific and environmental projects. There was a talk every evening, and we learned a lot about the rainforest and its wildlife. We also joined the “Discover New Species” activity and helped search for possible new species of tiger moths — such a fun and memorable experience. The lodge itself is definitely rustic luxury rather than a city-style 5-star hotel. There is no air conditioning or hair dryer, but the hot shower, fan and hammock in the room were all very comfortable and suited the rainforest setting perfectly. And surprisingly, the internet connection was excellent — even the boats had Starlink! One of the things I appreciated most is that Posada Amazonas is a collaboration between Rainforest Expeditions and the local Indigenous community that owns the land. Many community members are directly involved in running the lodge, and you can really feel how much the staff care about and are connected to this rainforest, which is part of their ancestral home. If you are looking for an authentic, educational and truly memorable Amazon rainforest experience, I highly recommend Posada Amazonas. We absolutely loved our stay. Read all

The Tambopata Research Center (TRC) offers a well-organized immersive rainforest experience within the Tambopata National Reserve. The TRC and its accommodations put a spin on the term creature comforts by keeping guests comfortable while they commune among the creatures within the rainforest. I appreciated, through what I observed and the interactions I had, the attentiveness of the TRC team members. They knew their guests and seamlessly organized a lot for our benefit. The center assigns guests to a small group with a dedicated guide. In my case, Erick Arguedas was a superb ambassador for all things living in the rainforest, in part because it was the environment in which he grew up. His role was to ensure we got the most out of our visit. Being a long-term TRC guide gave him the expertise he needed to easily fulfill this role. Read all

Our stay at Refugio Amazonas was a great experience from beginning to end. The entire trip was very well organized, and having a tour guide with you throughout the experience made everything easy and enjoyable. Our guides, Dennis and Tuto, were excellent. They both spoke English very well and did a fantastic job explaining the different birds, trees, plants, and animals we encountered. Their knowledge really made the excursions much more interesting and helped us appreciate the Amazon on a deeper level. The expeditions were definitely a highlight. I highly recommend the clay lick, sunset cruise, observation tower, river boat tour, and night walk. Each activity offered something different, and we were able to see so much wildlife. The food was also excellent. Everything was fresh and tasted great. I especially enjoyed the protein dishes, fresh fruit, and yuca potatoes. Considering how remote the lodge is, we were very impressed with the quality of the food. The rooms are very open to nature, which is part of what makes the experience so unique. We saw monkeys right from our room, along with many birds and lizards. We even had a frog visit our room at night—which was definitely an interesting Amazon experience! 😂 One thing to be aware of is that the walls between rooms are quite thin, so you can hear your neighbors at times. Overall, the entire experience was absolutely worth the trip. If you’re visiting the Peruvian Amazon, I would strongly recommend Refugio Amazonas. The wildlife, guides, excursions, food, and being completely immersed in nature made this one of the highlights of our Peru trip. 🌿🦜🐒 Read all

Our stay here was one of the favorite parts of our trip to Peru. One of the most memorable parts of the stay is how wonderful the guides were. We had two different guides during our stay: Jos and Jorge. Jos had an amazing connection with the birds, knowing all the bird sounds by ear, he could imitate most of them. His passion for the birds was evident when we went out to see them, and during a visit to look for macaws at the clay lick, he moved locations just so we would have the opportunity to see them. When we viewed them up close through a new blind that had been built, his joy was as much as ours, delighting as if it was his first sighting. Jorge had a beautiful spirit that he shared with us during our time with him. Growing up in the community there, he had so much knowledge about the plants and trees. He introduced us to a medicinal plant, and had stories about some of the different trees. We felt well cared for by both guides. We also enjoyed the nightly science talks, teaching us about some of the ongoing projects which helped us feel more connected to the area. The food was wonderful, and all the staff were extremely helpful throughout our stay. Read all

Amazing location and truly deep jungle. This organisation has three lodges and this is the nearest to Puerto Maldonado but don’t think that the wildlife here is any less than the lodges further along the river. We saw a LOT of different animals, birds and variety of colours. Well worth the stay. Read all

We stayed last february for 4 nights in the TRC lodge. I never could have imagined that I would explore the amazon in such confortable and immersive way. The lodge itself is such a luxurious place, in the middle of nowhere! The food was nicely curated everyday to offer new bits and pieces of the Peruvian cuisine. The absolute highlight of our stay here was for sure the activities and our guide Carmen, who accompanied us everyday! We were able to choose our everydays activities with our very reduced group and our guide. Carmen guided us on very activity, spotting and explaining what animals we saw and interesting facts about our surroundings. Her knowledge and excitement were so infectious that it would even make the sightings even more special! Read all

One of the most unique experiences we’ve had! You are deep in the heart of the Amazon and truly feel immersed in nature. Our guide Dino was awesome and taught us so much about the rainforest-he is like a walking encyclopedia, and his love for the forest really shows. Also very unique to listen to nightly talks from the research team-it really adds to the experience. Food was great and staff very friendly. Bring lots of bug spray and an adventurous spirit! Read all

The lodge was fantastic; they were very attentive to our needs. The dining staff brought special bread for my wife because of her celiac disease and offered to prepare dishes specifically for her to meet her dietary needs. The lodge guides were truly knowledgeable and went out of their way to help us see all the local wildlife. I especially loved the mosquito net service they provided. I was worried we’d be eaten alive, but their setup is fabulous; I had no concerns once I saw how they installed the impenetrable nets and curtains. The meals were as good as—or better than—anywhere else we ate in Peru. We saw the following animals: macaws, parrots, parakeets, pale-winged trumpeters, tamarins, caimans, capybaras, and a ton of insects on our night hike. Read all