There are quite a few different species of glass frogs that live in Central and South America. They are very small and most are green with a translucent belly. Viewed from below, you can see the internal organs — thus the name. This guy, the Fleischmann’s or northern glass frog, photographed in the El Valle region of Panama, can be distinguished by the faint yellow spots on its back.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 200, f/18 at 1/250th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units

Most antbird species are rather drab looking — a combination of browns and grays. But not the ocellated antbird. This shy bird has a brilliant blue facial patch, surrounded by a gray crown and chestnut, brown and black patterned wings and breast. My guide was quite excited when we found one and I was able to get a couple of decent shots before it flew off. I’m assuming that meant it’s not an everyday occurrence. As the name would suggest, antbirds eat ants — army ants being their favorite delicacy.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/50th of a second

Mantled howler monkeys are fairly common — at least in the areas that I have visited in Central and South America — but they can still be quite difficult to photograph given the darkness of their coloring and the fact that they are usually high in the trees against the white of the sky. This one was part of a troop that I photographed along Panama’s famous Pipeline Road. Pipeline Road is generally considered one of the best, if not the best spot in the world for birding. It’s also a great place for mammals and on this particular afternoon, I saw howlers, as well as both two and three-toed sloths, and agoutis.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/80th of a second

It’s rumored that the Star Wars character Jabba the Hut was based on a real life actor. George Lucas apparently told the production team to make Jabba look “alien and grotesque just like Sydney Greenstreet.” That may be true, but Jabba clearly looks more like a marine toad to me than the bad guy in Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon. Also known as a cane toad or giant neotropical toad, these guys can get big. Very big. And fat. This one looked about the size of a large cantaloupe.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 200, f/8 at 1/160th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units

I’ve mentioned before that trogons are among my favorite birds. There are thirty-nine species that live in tropical regions throughout the world. I’ve photographed quite a few of them, but it’s always nice to find yet another. This time it was the orange-bellied trogon that I spotted while hiking a forest trail in El Valle, Panama. I saw both the male (pictured) and female. The females are beautiful birds as well, but not quite as colorful with their brown heads and yellow bellies.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second

The diasia is just one of many clearwing species of butterfly in the genus ithomia that can be found in Central and South America. As the name suggests, the wings are translucent. It was interesting that they would take on a bit of a bluish tint, however, when the background was all that out-of-focus green foliage (as seen in the bottom photo). Both photos are the same exact butterfly, just photographed from a different angle and lens.
Top photo — Nikon D800 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 1600, f/8 at 1/320th of a second
Bottom photo — Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second

This is a young four eyed opossum. As you can see, it doesn’t literally have four eyes, but as it ages, those white areas above the eyes become more distinct, thus the name. This is one of the few mammals I was able to photograph on several night walks in Panama.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mmm lens (at 340mm) ISO 500, f/8 at 1/100th of a second

This handsome guy is a spectacled owl, one of two different species of owl that I was able to photograph on this most recent trip to Panama. The spectacled owl is rather large and mostly nocturnal. There was a female and a chick roosting somewhere nearby, although I didn’t see either, and only heard that they had been seen in the area.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/100th of a second

The great thing about Panama’s Canopy Tower where I stayed for four nights, is that you are literally up in the treetops. This is where toucans, sloths and other creatures spend the majority of their time. I could photograph them from eye level, rather than looking straight up, usually with a bright, white sky in the background. Another treat of being up in the canopy, is the view that presented itself every morning, with mist and clouds nestled into the hills.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 200, f/20 at 1/125th of a second

There are four different species of motmot that live in Panama, the smallest and most rare being the tody motmot. I was hoping to simply catch a glimpse of this bird and was doubly rewarded when it showed up with a frog in its beak. The tody motmot is also unique among the motmots in that it lacks the distinctively long tail of the others that usually ends in a racket-like tip.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/125th of a second