The solitary ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is one of six wild cats in the neotropical forests. Ocelots are versatile hunters that will catch fish in streams and climb the forest understorey to capture birds.Photographed at a wildlife rescue center in Amazonian Ecuador.

Mountain lion or cougar (puma concolor). This female, rescued as an orphan, was the first to breed in captivity in Ecuador. Photographed as captive individual in Baños, Ecuador.

Sunset over Yasuni National Park and UNESCO Man & the Biosphere Reserve, Amazonian Ecuador

Sunrise in main lagoon, the landscape dominated by knarled Macrolobium acaciaefolium trees. Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, Amazon basin, Ecuador

Catarina Cerda, member of the Añangu lowland Quichua community member, paddles a traditional dugout canoe on a sunny morning on the Añanguyacu river at its mouth with the Napo river. I was invited to photograph the Añangu tourism project by the community, and I obtained permission to reproduce this image from Catarina's father, an elder in the community. He felt is was a respectful portrayal of his daughter and his people.The lowland Quichua must navigate in all conditions. Behind her is one of several islands on the broad Napo river, a tributary of the Amazon. A large tree trunk juts from the water's surface. During storms, winds topple rainforest trees and flooding washes them out into the Napo. Yasuní National Park & UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Amazonian Ecuador.

On the Anzu River, an American Peace Corps volunteer and a young lowland Quichua boy switch vehicles in a display of cross-cultural interaction. The 10-year old boy and his brother used palm leaves to lash the Balsa tree saplings (Ochroma pyramidale) together, before the boy piloted the raft downstream to the site of his family's new home construction.

The flashy crown of the Blue-crowned mot mot (Momotus momota) actually help it hide in the dappled light of the rainforest understory.Photographed moments after release by ornitologist during a wildlife study in the Yasuni National Park and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, western Amazon basin, Ecuador

As this Turnip-tailed gecko (Thecadactylus rapicauda) climbs a sun-stained leaf in the rainforest, it relies on a network of microscopic hairs and folds on its feet to grab the smooth surface. Photographed in the wild in Yasuní National Park & UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

The boa constrictor (Boa constrictor) is a skilled predator of the forest understory. Today, big boas still thrive in primary rainforest. Photographed during wildlife inventory expedition in the Yasuní National Park & UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Ecuador.

This White-lined leaf frog (Phyllomedusa vaillantii) clings with prehensile toes on the inflorescence of a Bird of Paradise plant (Heliconia sp.) These frogs are more likely to be active at night climbing among a dense tangle of vines beside lowland rainforest lagoons and ephemeral ponds. This individual was photographed in studio setting assocated with a during biological survey by Ecuadorian herpetologists and then released. Near Canelos, upper Amazon basin, Ecuador.

A collection of seeds from the lowland rainforest of upper Napo river valley near Ahuano, Ecuador. The fibers at the upper left come from the seed pods of the Ceibo tree (Ceiba pentandra). These fibers are used by the Huaorani of eastern Ecuador to wrap their darts for a good seal before firing in their blowguns. The red seeds of the rainforest tree (Ormosia spp.) are popular in jewelry pieces.

The hand-sized "Huntsman" (Olios sp.) is a venomous spider sometimes seen in the primary rainforest. This individual was photographed in Yasuní National Park & UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Amazon basin, Ecuador, South America.

This stick insect (Family Phasmidae) blends exquisitely with the rainforest floor. Jatun Sacha Biological Station, western Amazon basin, Ecuador.

A male poison dart frog (Epipedobates parvulus) carries tadpoles to water to complete their development. Behavior photographed in the wild near Mendez, Ecuador, western Amazon basin, Ecuador.

A lowland Quichua boy corrals his harvest of rainforest tree snails (Gastropoda sp.) for an upcoming community celebration and meal.Rio Misahualli, Ecuador, Amazon basin.

One of the snails caught in the previous scene is cooked to celebrate the completion of a successful work party or "minga" in the lowland Quichua community of Aitaca, Amazonian Ecuador.

Lowland Quichua Indians steam these furled palm fronds as a popular salad, here wrapped in a palm leaf for sale at a weekend market in Tena, capital of Ecuador's Napo province.

This is the tail fin of a beautiful native catfish known as the "Pintorillo" (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum) which inhabits the lagoons of the upper Amazon. This animal was found captured by lowland Quichua man who was gathering food for a community wedding party.Over 750 species of fish are found in the freshwater habitats of Amazonian Ecuador. Compare that with the 450 species of fish that occur in the coastal and offshore waters of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. What accounts for the high fish diversity in the Amazon basin? The dark waters of the upper Amazon are laden with organic matter such as fallen fruits and seeds from the rainforest. Aquatic vegetation and omnivorous fish benefits nutrients washed by heavy rains in the rainforest which settle into rivers and lagoons.

The black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus) is a famed opportunistic carnivore of the Amazon and Orinoco river systems, but they are not aggressive. However, Piranhas are quickly efficient. Feeding cooperatively, they take down weaker and older animals at the water's edge. Photographed in an oxygenated aquarium adjacent to its habitat in Laguna Pañacocha, Amazonian Ecuador. The fish was released to the lagoon after photography.

The black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus) is also known as the Red-eyed piranha. Laguna Pañacocha, Ecuador.

These Black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus), also known as Red-eyed piranha, are strung onto the branch of a tree sapling and placed in the bow of a traditional dugout canoe. Laguna Pañacocha, Ecuador.

The black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus) is a common fish in the lagoons of Amazonian Ecuador. This group was grilled by a lowland Quichua family in preparation for a wedding party. I was lucky to be there for this great ethnozoological event.

This ceremonial stone sculpture from the Cotundo culture (600BC-700AD) makes one ponder the pre-Incan history of the western Amazon basin. Photographed at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito.

Orchid of the genus Stanhopea. This neotropical group occurs from Mexico to Brazil. Photographed in cultivation near Tena, Ecuador

Lowland Quichua women (Napo Runa) use an infusion from the leaves of the Cruz Caspi plant (Brownea sp.) to regulate their menstural cycle.

The colorful seed of this vine (Paulinia sp.) attracts birds which disperse the plant to new places in the forest.Yasuni National Park & UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, upper Amazon basin, Ecuador

Known locally as "mountain pepper", these fallen fruit (Ceratostema spp.) are known by locals for their their tangy flavor which can be a nice pick-me-up on return from a long hike in the rainforest.Yasuni National Park & UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Ecuador

Lush epiphyte growth on this Ceiba tree (Ceiba pentandra) towering over the forest floor of Yasuní National Park and Biosphere Reserve, defines the emergent layer of the rainforest. Upper Amazon basin, Ecuador, South AmericaA landmark study, co-authored by my friend Dr. Nigel Pitman,the "Global Conservation Significance of Yasuní National Park", has confirmed the importance of Yasuní.

The Brown-throated three-toed sloth's (Bradypus variegatus) slow metabolism keeps it from moving too quickly. They are so sedentary that alga have an opportunity to grow on their coarse fur providing camouflage. That's all good defense. This individual was rescued from a market for ten dollars. It would have become sloth soup.

I found this silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) sleeping low in a tree one morning, with a bead of rain clinging to its fur from an overnight storm. The front claws are held close for defense whle sleeping. At night, they provide the perfect tool for ripping open ant and termite nests. Photographed in the wild near Archidona, Ecuador.

It's an arduous climb to Laguna Guagua Sumaco, situated at 2500 meters elevation in thick jungle on the slopes of the Sumaco Volcano. Napo province, western Amazon basin, Ecuador

This image of a spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus crocodilus) is very interpretive. These predators can submerge their bodies completely leaving only the sensory organs of eyes, ears and nose exposed for surveillance.