Marisa Tellez 🐊🇧🇿

Apparently I need to also teach Gilly manners… (Gilly is one of the #wildlifeambassadors @crocodilereseaechcoalition. Since he is under our permanent care, we target train him or provide enrichment to physically and mentally stimulate him. This video was taken during one of his training sessions) . . . #saturdaymood #saturdayvibes #wildliferehab #womeninconservation #zoolife #wildilfe #animal #belize #placenciabelize #placenciapeninsula #belizewildlife #wildbelize #wildlifenonprofit #wildlifes...

The beauty of Belize is the amount of wildlife that is still around. However, unsustainable and rapid development as well as lack of awareness for the wildlife that lives around us is creating more negative interactions between humans and nature. I had a major second wind yesterday after an all night excursion and little sleep. Twenty minutes from my house I see a guy trying to move a baby coati off the side of the road. Thanks to this Wildlife Champion this coati for having empathy and taking ...

Manatees “defy gravity” in the water by farting. Manatees lack a specifically designed organ to assist in buoyancy like the swim bladder found in fish. Manatees hold onto their gas when they want to float to the water’s surface, and when they want to sink they release gas to become less buoyant. Your new fact for the day, and you are welcome! 😜 🎥 taken @officialdwazoo . . . #saturdayvibes #wildlife #animals #dallastexas #dallas #texas #marinemammal #manatee #manatí #cuteanimals #wicked #z...

#sundayvibes #americancrocodile, Ambergris Caye, #belize . . . #sundaymood #buffet #wildlife #animals #crocsofinstagram #ambergriscaye #unbelizeable #belizewildlife #caribbean #carib #chronix #centralamerica #americacentral #croc #cocodrilo #cocodriloamericano #crocodylusacutus #naturaleza #crocodile #sundaybuffet #wildliferesearch #fieldresearch #animalbehavior #sunset

Look at that smile! Besides just enjoying the sun after days of rain, Gilly from the @crocodileresearchcoalition is illustrating the behavior known as basking to help raise up his body temperature given crocodilians are ectothermic. His open mouth gesture is not a territorial display to scare of competitors, but a way to avoid from overheating by letting hot air out. . . . #crocsofinstagram #tuesdaytopic #crocodile #cocodrilo #croc #moreletscrocodile #cocodrilodepantano #belize #caribbean #cen...

#mondaymemories to when I received a call around 630am to go help out an injured manatee. The caller said two other manatee were trying to help it out… nope, not an injured manatee but a manatee breeding herd! Females will be followed by a few or several males while she is in estrus. Females (also known as cows) will mate with several males (bulls). No permanent bonds are formed between cows and bulls. . . . #manatee #marinemammal #wildlife #animal #belize #belizewildlife #caribbean #caribe #ce...

Understanding the physical and mental needs of animals in the wild is significant in ensuring the quality of life for their conspecifics in captivity. Crocodilians are intelligent animals, utilizing their cognitive ability to successfully hunt. Hunting, as well as defending territory or seeking out a mate, also takes a bit of physical strength. Although we can’t 100% replicate the wild for Gilly at the @CRC facility, we do our best at the CRC to mentally and physically stimulate Gilly with var...

“Saving this tropical broadleaf forest is not only crucial to the survival of wildlife species, but also vital to human populations from both Belize and Guatemala that depend on the environmental services and goods derived from this exuberant forest.” — @fcd.belize website Celebrating this International Forest Day with #memories of Chiquibul Forest. Rich in biodiversity, Chiquibul Forest lies within the Maya Mountains in the southwestern part of Belize, and is recognized at the national and in...

Sike!!! Fun Fact: There are 3 main “gaits” that describe crocodilian locomotion: 1. Belly Crawl: usually seen when crocodilians are on a slippery surface, remaining on their bellies and just using their legs to move along the substrate. 2. High Walk: a slow walk in which legs are directly underneath joints (as seen in this video). 3. Galloping: front and hind limbs move as synchronous pairs - the hind legs push the animal forward and the front legs absorb the impact. . . . 🎥 taken @gatorla...

Fight Club, #croc style! We are getting into that time of the year where male #crocodile testosterone levels increase in parallel to mating season. Male crocs will fight over territory and females, and sometimes these confrontations do not begin or end with some type of physical altercation. In this picture, 2 male #americancrocodiles confront each other with something known as mock biting. Snapping jaws, showing teeth, this is a physical behavioral cue to display strength that doesn’t necess...

Although small, the data collected from these baby crocs will make a huge impact! Genetic data collected from these crocs will help the @crocodileresearchcoalition in collaboration with @helenwsung for her doctoral thesis determine the rate of hybridization between Morelet’s and American crocs in Belize. Spoiler alert… it appears the majority of crocs in Belize are hybrids! . . . #crocsofinstagram #crocodile #cocodrilo #croc #science #ciencia #belize #centralamerica #americacentral #unbelizeab...

This is how crocs sneak up and ambush their prey… Crocodiles, like this #americancrocodile , have an amazing ability to be stealth, going undetected to ambush terrestrial prey along the water’s edge. Part of this stealth is due to their ability to move their lungs. Crocodilians have muscles that have specifically evolved to assist moving crocodilian lungs (towards the head, towards the tail, towards the side), altering their center of buoyancy. Ultimately these muscles have contributed to croco...