French Guiana Herping

Logistics & Itinerary

Cacao & the Molokoi Trail

Days 1-2

Upon arrival at the assigned meeting point in Cayenne you will be met by your guides and the rest of the group. From here we travel for approximately 1.5 hours with private transportation to our first herping destination.

Our expedition begins in the village of Cacao located along the Comté River and surrounded by lowland rainforest and forested hills. From here we will access the Molokoi Trail, a beautiful jungle route that follows clear forest streams deep into primary rainforest.

These streams provide important breeding habitat for many amphibians, making the area particularly productive for frog diversity. While exploring the trail and surrounding forest we will search for glass frogs, Atelopus toads ,Suriname toad (Pipa pipa) and a wide diversity of snakes including coral snakes (Micrurus), aquatic species (Helicops, Hydrodynastes, Hydrops, Eunectes, Erythrolamprus) and vipers (Bothrops) providing an exciting start to the expedition!

Saül – Remote Interior Rainforest

Days 3-5

From the coast we travel by small aircraft deep into the interior of French Guiana to reach the remote village of Saül, one of the most isolated and pristine rainforest locations in the Guiana Shield. Completely surrounded by vast tracts of untouched jungle, this area offers exceptional opportunities to encounter rare and elusive herpetofauna as well as breathtaking views of truly pristine rainforest.

During our time here we will explore the extensive trail system that winds through the surrounding primary forest, searching both day and night for snakes, frogs, and other wildlife. Saül is particularly well known for species such as Bushmaster (Lachesis muta), Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus), Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria) Yellow-tailed Cribo (Drymarchon corais) as well as a very large and beautiful morph of the Dyeing poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius). This location is also the best known locations in the Guiana shield to search for the recently described viper Bothrops oligobalius which represents one of the principle targets of this trip!

Kaw Swamps & Kaw Mountains

Days 6-10

Our final is the Kaw region in eastern French Guiana, a vast protected wetland system surrounded by forested hills. The Kaw swamps form one of the largest marsh landscapes in the country, where slow-moving waterways, flooded forests, and open wetlands create ideal habitat for a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians. Here we will explore both by boat and on foot during night excursions, searching for species such as Green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), the incredibly rare Black-spotted anaconda (Eunectes deschaunseei), the remarkable and cryptic Mata-mata turtle (Chelus fimbriata), while all four caiman species from the Guianas including the mighty Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger).

Rising above the wetlands are the misty forests of the Kaw Mountains, where cooler conditions and high rainfall support an impressive diversity of amphibians and arboreal snakes. We will explore forest trails, ponds, and quiet roads at night in search of species such as Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus), Amazon tree boa (Corallus hortulana) Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria) Common lancehead (Bothrops atrox), Two-lined Forest-Pitviper (Bothrops bilineatus), and many amazing frog species including Horned frog (Ceratophrys cornuta) Giant leaf frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor) Tiger-striped moneky frog (Callimedusa tomopterna) and by day Amazon dart frog (Ranitomeya amazonica) and another beautiful and different morph of Dyeing poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius).

Return to Cayenne

Day 11

After breakfast we leave the swamps and mountains of Kaw behind after hopefully some epic nights of herping together! We reach the city of Cayenne after approximately 2 hours of travel. End of trip.

Accommodations

Throughout the expedition we stay in a mix of comfortable jungle lodges and remote forest camps that reflect the adventurous nature of the trip. Participants will spend six nights in shared rooms with beds and four nights sleeping in hammocks at a remote jungle camp in Saül, one of the most isolated villages in French Guiana. This blend of simple accommodation and wilderness camping allows us to access some of the region’s best and least-explored herping locations while still maintaining a comfortable base at key sites.