Tim L. Heller Science & Photography

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Tim L. Heller Science & Photography

Join me on my journey and follow my travels, fieldwork to explore nature! Let's discover the natural world together!

Evolutionary Biologist & Wildlife Photographer

🔬 Studying Earth's reptile & spider diversity
📸 Capturing the beauty of nature through macro and wildlife photography. Evolutionary Biologist & Wildlife Photographer

🔬 Studying Earth's reptile & spider diversity
📸 Capturing the beauty of nature through macro and wildlife photography.
🌿 Naturalist at heart, exploring the wild corners of our planet. Join me on my journey and follow my travels, fieldwork, and the wonders of wildlife and nature.

23/08/2026

Some frog poses are simply impossible to resist 🐸📸

Those of you who have been following me for a while probably know that this is one of my favorite frog poses. So when I found this Pristimantis latidiscus sitting like this, I knew I had to take the shot.

There is just something about that perfectly balanced, slightly ridiculous frog posture that makes it impossible not to stop and photograph it 😄🌿

Sometimes the simplest encounters make for my favorite photos.

21/08/2026

Love is in the air 🕷️❤️

Seeing these two conspecific harvestmen interacting in the wild was a fascinating spectacle. From their position and behavior, I assumed these two little lovebirds were copulating, but I would definitely appreciate an arachnologist's confirmation 👀

Courtship and mating behavior in many tropical arachnids remains surprisingly poorly documented, so witnessing an interaction like this in the rainforest felt like a particularly special observation.

Definitely not something you get to see every day! 🌿✨

16/08/2026

“Who’s a good boy?” 🐸🐶

This *Craugastor longirostris* from Reserva Canandé looked exactly like a little dog waiting for some well deserved praise.

With wide angle macro photography, even common and arguably plain looking species can take on an entirely different character. Sometimes you just need to get a little closer to appreciate how fascinating they really are 🌿✨

14/08/2026

The rainforest never runs out of crazy spiders 🕷️🌿

Ecuador's tropical forests never cease to surprise me with the incredible diversity of spiders. This massive Sparassidae was another particularly impressive encounter.

I am still unsure about the identification, so if anyone here has experience with Ecuadorian Sparassidae, I would absolutely appreciate your input 👀

There are several poorly known and recently described huntsman spiders from Ecuador, so getting some of these larger specimens confidently identified can be surprisingly challenging.

Another reminder that there is still so much to discover in these forests. ✨

09/08/2026

The frog with the biggest eyes in the forest 👀🐸

I have been waiting for quite a while to finally sit down and edit these photos. Boana picturata is without a doubt one of my favorite frogs from the Ecuadorian Chocó.

Their enormous eyes give them an almost comical appearance, making every individual look incredibly expressive. But beyond their charming appearance, they are a beautiful example of the incredible amphibian diversity found in this region.

What surprised me most was how common they were in the area. Sometimes the most memorable encounters are not necessarily with the rarest species, but with the ones that allow you to spend time observing and photographing their natural behavior.

Such an amazing species and such a rewarding subject to photograph 🌿✨

07/08/2026

This impressive Tityus cf. rosenbergi was one of the highlights of our Chocó expedition to Gualpi.

While these scorpions are fascinating to observe, encounters in remote forests always require caution. A sting several hours away from the nearest community and even further from medical care is a very different situation compared to one near a city. Additionally, the venom of many tropical scorpion species remains poorly studied, and individual reactions can be unpredictable.

When I got a little too close for a photograph, this individual suddenly jumped from the leaf, a behavior that appears to be common among arboreal Tityus. For a brief moment, my heart definitely stopped as I searched for where it had landed. Luckily, I found it safely on the forest floor and not somewhere much closer to me 😅

Another reminder that in the rainforest, every encounter deserves respect and a healthy dose of caution 🦂✨

02/08/2026

Some rainforest moments stay with you forever. This was one of them. 💚🐸

While I have encountered poison frogs before, including Oophaga sylvatica in the Chocó and Ameerega parvula in the Amazon, I had been hoping for a long time to find a Ranitomeya. Their arboreal lifestyle and remarkable parental care make them one of the most fascinating frog genera in the Neotropics.

I never imagined that my first encounter would include both at once.

While exploring the forests of Apayacu, we came across this female Ranitomeya ventrimaculata carrying two tadpoles on her back as she climbed a large tree root. The mother was transporting them to small water filled phytotelmata, where each tadpole would continue its development in its own tiny nursery high above the forest floor.

Watching this scene unfold was incredible. But the story became even more dramatic when a large fishing spider (Ancylometes sp.) began approaching. These spiders are capable predators of small vertebrates, and for a moment I was convinced this encounter would end badly. Fortunately, the spider changed direction, and the determined mother continued her journey uninterrupted.

It was one of those rare moments where you are reminded that every step through the rainforest can reveal an extraordinary story of survival, adaptation, and parental care. Moments like this are exactly why I keep coming back. 🌿✨

31/07/2026

This impressive Ancylometes was encountered in the forests around Ahuano, near Tena 🕷️🌿

Commonly referred to as fishing spiders, members of this genus are among the largest spiders of the Neotropics. They are closely associated with streams and ponds, where they actively hunt rather than relying on webs. Their diet is surprisingly diverse and includes insects, tadpoles, small fish, and occasionally even other vertebrates.

Particularly the females can attain impressive sizes, making encounters with these giants especially memorable during night walks. Watching one patiently wait at the water's edge is a fascinating reminder that some of the rainforest's most successful predators have eight legs.

As with many tropical invertebrates, photographs rarely do them justice. You only truly appreciate their size when you see one in person under the beam of your headlamp ✨

26/07/2026

This stunning Enyalioides altotambo was one of the highlights of our time in the Chocó rainforest 🦎🌿

At first, its incredible green coloration was enough to capture my attention. Perfectly camouflaged among the vegetation, it almost seemed unreal. But the encounter became even more memorable when the lizard suddenly switched into a defensive display, opening its mouth wide and adopting a threat posture that made it appear far larger and more intimidating than before.

These displays are a fascinating reminder that many rainforest animals rely not only on camouflage but also on dramatic behavioral responses when discovered. And honestly, it is difficult not to admire an animal that can go from invisible to fierce in a matter of seconds.

The Chocó continues to surprise me with its extraordinary diversity, and species like Enyalioides altotambo are a big reason why 💚✨

24/07/2026

This fantastic photograph of Deinopis longipes captures one of the rainforest's most extraordinary predators in action 🕷️🌙

Commonly known as net casting spiders, species of Deinopis do not build conventional orb webs. Instead, they construct a small rectangular silk net, which they hold between their front legs while patiently waiting for prey. Once an unsuspecting insect passes beneath them, they lunge forward and literally throw their net over it with astonishing speed.

Even more fascinating are their eyes. The enormous posterior median eyes are among the largest relative to body size of any spider and provide exceptional night vision. Unlike most animals, the light sensitive membrane in these eyes is destroyed and regenerated every day. During the night, the retina becomes highly sensitive, allowing the spider to hunt in near darkness. By sunrise, this sensitivity is lost again to protect the eye from damage.

This individual was found near Río Canandé in the Chocó, another reminder that some of the most remarkable organisms in the rainforest are often only a few centimeters in size. ✨

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