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Another Non-African Safari Report


Atravelynn

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@@Atravelynn

I am digging through old reports and wondered if this might be Brazil - and it was

I really enjoyed it (I am glad I was not with the screaming tourist!)

A question - you put a warning in

"THE NORTHERN PANTANAL—LAND PORTION
I was given advice from reliable sources who work in the Pantanal to avoid a trip during the full moon if seeing mammals is a goal. Bird watching is unaffected by the moon."

 

Do you think there is truth in that? Is it supposed to be mammals on night drives or mammals in the day? We had heard it somewhere else but I don't remember where. I have had a look at a phases of the moon for August 2007 - not a full moon when you were there.

Did you take account of the moon when you planned your later trips to Pantanal?

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@@TonyQ, while we wait for atravelynn answer let me tell you that my trip to northern pantanal was during the full moon and although I can' t compare with other periods our guide told us that there we would have seen more jaguars if it wasn't for the full moon, he said he didn't have a scientific explanation for that but it was the result of his experience (I was quite happy with the jaguar sightings we had, better thatn I expected, so If it can be even better it must be very good).

 

Also at pousada Rio Claro they told us we would better skip the night drive because it was very quite during those days in what sightings were concerned because of the full moon, we followed that advice.

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Well, the moon was 91,4 % full on my first day. Can´t complain about a lack of mammals but of course I wouldn´t know how many there would have been just a week later. And it was cloudy.

 

Our guide said the same thing however, but just in regard to night drives.Which apparently makes sense scientifically, "Reducing activity to avoid predation during periods of brighter light is a common way that land animals react to the lunar cycle." according to http://www.livescience.com/37927-how-moon-affects-nocturnal-animals.html

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Certainly in Mana when we were at Chitake Springs it was full moon and seemed quiet in terms of predator action, in terms of noises at night, not so much!

 

In terms of the Pantanal, there is definitely a correlation between cold front/rain and sightings of jaguars, the hotter it is, the more likely you are to see Jaguars by the river, which tbh is the main way people see them, at least in Northern Pantanal.

 

This is because they like to cool off by the water when it is hot.

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I did not heed my own warning on the last 2 Pantanal trips. At Caiman Lodge, Fazenda San Franciso, and Pousada Refugio da Ilha I saw 2 ocelots during the 10 night drives just before, during, and after the full moon. Lots of giant anteaters, though. One night we saw 10 or 11 at Caiman Lodge.

 

On this last trip in 6 nights surrounding the full moon I saw one puma but I noted it was before the moon had really risen and there was heavy cloud cover to keep it dark. No other predators. One giant anteater at night.

 

The dates are what worked for me and there were other factors besides the moon. But if I could have gone when there was no moon I would have.

Edited by Atravelynn
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