Paraiba Brasil 2013

Recently I met with some new colleagues in Paraiba Brasil. I am pleased to say that there may be some future collaboration involving the Propeller Experiment Controller. My colleagues have a different perspective on behavior than many behaviorists in the United States and this might lead to application of behavioral technology in some areas I had not considered, particularly agriculture. I look forward to what the future might bring.

I was also fortunate to encounter a few interesting native species. I have an avid interest in herpetology and although we did not play any events to see local wildlife, I stumbled upon some interesting creatures. I might make a more detailed post at a later time, but for now, here are a few pictures:

Who doesn't love to see cane toads in their natural range? There were five large females living near one of the places I was staying. Visiting them became a nightly affair. How could anyone not be fascinated by toads this large?

I was also extremely lucky that a colleague found this boa constrictor hiding under some leaves. It was a pretty friendly snake, only trying to bite me in the face a few times when I picked it up. After it was in my hands, the snake was relaxed. I am only holding the snake's head so that others can touch it without concern. This was the first time I encountered a snake that large in the wild. Now I want to find a larger snake!

Overall, it was a wonderful trip and I hope to be able to do work in Brasil in the future.