Beware of tour guides . . . some of them might get you hurt. To help you avoid mini or major disasters, here are brief rundowns on a few of the local jungle dwellers.

Since we’re already here let’s just stay with coatis for a bit longer. When I lived on a hillside overlooking Tenacatita Bay at La Manzanilla they seemed to migrate from the hilltop above my house down toward the plaza each evening. Half the dogs on my end of town, plus one of my two cats, lived on my terrace so the wild things passed by quickly. However, one night my neighbor’s daughter came up just at dusk to report the presence of a small creature in the tree between our houses.

Being a 12 year-old boy trapped in a rapidly failing 50-plus year-old body I turned out to see what we could capture. It turned out to be a young coatimundi. After I retrieved it from a low hanging limb we placed it in a cat carrier to observe it. As part of the experience we held it and allowed it to nuzzle our hands. It took the tip of one of my fingers to nibble on but it was very gentle and not the least bit fearful.

The mature one encountered by the tour guide obviously had a totally different attitude.

We fed the small creature. Bits of carrot and papaya, a leaf of lettuce, and a sliver of orange were offered. It preferred the sweeter offerings. After allowing it to eat and rest the youngster released the baby back into the tree early the next morning.

Driving to Boca de Iguanas one evening I encountered a huge coati crossing the road. He was on all fours, holding his striped, raccoon-like tail straight up. His rear legs were larger than the front, somewhat like a kangaroo, and I estimate his height at the haunches at about three feet, with the tail standing up about another two feet. He was a dark honey color with brown tail stripes.

He was also totally unconcerned about the big truck bearing down on him. I slowed, he ambled, and we avoided contact. He was casual, though.

And on the shore of Lake Chapala I often encountered small dark brown versions. Some folks keep them as pets, although that’s not something I would encourage. They need to be in their homes in the wild.

Those little rascals are spread over a pretty wide area of Mexico.

Another animal that enjoys extensive distribution is the skunk. Although you’re more likely to smell one rather than see one, I think our local variety is quite attractive. Of course, that’s just my opinion. I used to have a de-scented pet skunk when I was a kid so maybe I look at them differently than most do.

One day a couple of friends and I kayaked from just outside of Cuyutlán down the lagoon and through the manglar tunnel to Paraiso. As we paddled into a small cove at the edge of a coconut plantation to ask permission to land the boats, the old man we spoke to replied to us in the affirmative, but in a concerned tone. After we pulled the kayaks onto dry land we were given an emphatic warning that our trip had been very dangerous and should not be repeated.

Cocodrilos, he told us, had killed many dogs who ventured too near the edge of the lagoon, and he swore to us that several children had been snatched from the shore. There definitely are crocodiles in there, but the ones I’ve seen have been fairly small, although one in the enclosure at the Tortugario is about seven to eight feet long.

I do know that a croc rose from the waters of the lagoon at Boca de Iguanas to devour a big hound that belonged to a fellow gringo from La Manzanilla. And in the lagoon in La Manzanilla you can see many huge crocs ranging up to as large as nine or ten feet long.

Recently one of the larger crocs in our Palo Verde Estuary attacked and killed a local fisherman as he was baiting fish traps. Read more about these reptiles on the El Tortugario Sub-Project No. 1 page.

Russell Annabel, the Outdoor Life and Sports Afield writer who died in January of 1979, spent many years in this area of Mexico working as a hunting and fishing guide, collecting specimens for museums and scientists, and continuing his writing.

He wrote of the water dog, the perro de agua or river otter; the freshwater constrictor, the tilcuate; the cottontail rabbit; mohocoans, ocelots; giant toads; wild turkeys; jaguarundi; deer; pumas; tigres, jaguars; opossums; armadillos; quail; javelinas; raccoons; geese; coyotes; the choncho, or crested guan; and other wildlife. Although not as plentiful now, many of these animals and birds, as I mentioned above, still live in the forested areas around Cuyutlán.

Come visit and see for yourself. Bring a camera. And stay out of the clear waters of the Palo Verde Estuary.

E-Mail Don Adams dondelmundo@yahoo.com