Smithsonian Research Park

Look carefully at this photo. Yes, that is an iguana in the tree. Wade had only a couple of hours between send-offs today, so we visited the nearby Smithsonian Research Park. Here scientists study the tropical dry and wet rainforests and the differences between sea life in the Pacific and the Caribbean. Walking through the forested area, we saw iguana a two-toed sloth, pelicans nesting in trees, and toucans. In the aquarium we learned how to tell the difference between male and female rainbow fish and learned that females can become males but the reverse is not possible. It was interesting to see the ways coral and anemones differ between the Pacific and the Caribbean, especially since the two are so close together in Panama.