Conservation International led expeditions to the South American country of Suriname in 2005 and 2006, finding two dozen potential new species in the process. Among the biological curiosities documented during the expeditions was this ant species, Daceton armigerum, which is a highly visual predator of the rainforest canopy.

Piotr Naskrecki / Conservation International

The Amazonian snail-eater snake, Dipsas indica, was documented by researchers on the Lely Plateau in Suriname. This snake feeds on snails, which extracts from the shell. After the snake seizes the exposed body of a snail, the slender lower jaws of the snake are drawn into the shell as the snail retracts. The snake then slowly pulls on the soft body of the snail with its lower jaws, eventually tearing the body away from the shell, which is discarded.

James I. Watling / Conservation International

This frog, Epipedobates trivittatus, differs from those found in other areas of Suriname in its coloration – with orange stripes instead of the usual greenish-yellow shades. This frog was recorded during surveys in 2005 and 2006. One of the most interesting things about this species is the fact that the male frogs will transport the tadpoles on their back.

James I. Watling / Conservation International