Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 18:42:45 -0700 (PDT) From: Brian Kubicki <glass_frog_cr@yahoo.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2906$foo@default> Subject: Hello and Introduction
Hello everyone,
My name is Brian Kubicki. I am new to this list, and
actually I sent an introduction the otherday, but
seems like it got lost, or at least the text part.
So, here I go again hey:)
I live in Costa Rica, in a small suburb of San Jose
called Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo lies at about 1200
meters of elevation. Here we enjoy a more or less
constant average temp throughout the year, dropping to
about 15degC in the evening, and at times getting as
warm as 30degC in the daytime. We have two seasons here
in San Jose, the rainy and dry. The rainy season is
from basically May-Dec, and during this time it
typically rains everyday.
I am a biology student, my main area of studies is
herpetology, more specifically with three families of
neotropical anurans; poison frogs of the family
Dendrobatidae, subfamily of Hylidae, Phyllomedusinae,
and my main family of studies and work, Glass frogs of
the family Centrolenidae. My research and work with
these families of frogs involves studying their
taxonomy and natural behaviors in the wild, but
another large part of my investigation is
conservation. I am working with the captive
reproduction methods in several species from the
mentioned families above, and have been having some
really nice results, even in some species which have
never been reproduced in captivivty before, and others
which have only been produced a few times. I am
trying to obtain information to provide museums,
zoological parks, and any private individual who is
concerned about conserving these frogs through captive
breeding safety nets.
Other areas of I have been involved in research is
with the order of stony corals (Scleractina), and a
little with miniature orchids, bromeliads, and TC.
My studies and interest in CPs began about 6 months
ago. I am currently working with about 50 species and
hybrids, but my main area of interest and
concentration is with the genus Drosera. I want to
concentrate my studies and research more with
neotropical species of Drosera, but thus far I have
only been able to obtain D. communis.
I am working with species of the following genera;
Nepenthes
Dionaea
Pinguicula
Utricularia
Sarracenia
Darlingtonia
and of course Drosera
Here in CR it is pretty difficult to obtain CPs, and
the specimens that I am currently working with had to
be imported. CR is a very biologically rich country
for its small size, but one area we were not lucky in
was CPs, the only real genus of CPs native to CR is
Utricularia, mainly epiphytes, and a few acuatic
species. Two years ago some botanists supposedly
found a small population of D. capillaris growing in
one location near the Panamanian border. An article
was written in Revista de Biologi'a Tropical about the
plants and their discovery here in CR. The article
gives no exact location, only that they were found in
Parque Nacional La Amistad, at an elevation of 750 m
along the Pacific drainage. If anyone is further
interested about the article please let me know.
I grow my specimens both in my house, and in my
backyard. The only real specimens I am growing in my
back yard are two species of Nepenthes; N.
bicalcarata, and one that was supposedly N.
madagascariensis, but it appears to me more like a
hybrid??? I have had my N. "madagascariensis" growing
in my backyard for two years now, and it has grown
quite nicely. It now has pitchers nearly 17cm in
height, and 5 cms in diameter. My N. bicalcarata only
has been in CR for about 2 months, and is still in the
adjusting stage, but is sending out new leaves, and
little developing pitchers.
My other specimens are all grown in my house, in a
combination of two areas. I am currently growing the
following genera in a large east facing window;
Nepenthes
Sarracenia
Dionaea
Pinguicula
These specimens are doing really well, and growing
quite nicely.
The rest of my specimens, mainly Drosera, are growing
in a special terrarium type enclosure I built. The
enclosure has the following dimensions;
120cms long x 40cm tall x 55 cms from front to back.
The access to the enclosure is through two large
sliding glass panels along the front. I have wrapped
aluminum foil around the enclosure to increase
reflection and available light inside. I used light
diffuser (the kind with small square holes which is
often used in offices) to make a type of two leveled
stand inside the enclosure. I am lighting the
enclosure with six 40watt flor. bulbs. The upper
level of the stand receives between 12000-14000 lux,
and the lower level receives between 7000-10000 lux.
The average temps are between 20degC in the evening, and
climb as high as 27degC in the afternoon. The humidity
typically ranges from 70%-95% R.H. I typically keep
the glass panels open about 2cms on each end to allow
a little air movement inside the enclosure.
Additional humidity is provided via an air bubbler
placed inside of a tupperware container with R/O DI
water below the stand structure.
My plants inside of this enclosure are doing
excellent, with great growth and dew production on the
glands in the Drosera.
All my plants are given water produced by a R/O DI
filter.
Well that is a little description of my plants, and
how I am growing them. If you have any questions
about my plants or possibly frogs please let me know.
I would be really interested in talking with anyone
who is working with Drosera, especially species and or
varieties from Central and South America. I would
also appreciate any help from people on this list
finding sources of seeds or even possibly plants of
neotropical Drosera. I am also very interested in the
group of pygmy Drosera aswell. I have access to some
land further up in the mountains at an elevation of
about 2000meters, which is much cooler and humid than
even here in Santo Domingo. I would like to use this
opportunity to work with and study some of the cooler
growing neotropical species of Drosera, if I am able
to get ahold of some.
I am looking forward to sharing what ever information
I have been able to obtain with my experiments, and
studies, aswell as learning from the many knowldegable
and experienced individuals on this disscusion group.
Brian Kubicki
Escuela de Biologi'a
Universidad Latina
San Jose, Costa Rica
=====
Brian Kubicki
Escuela de Biologi'a
Universidad latina
San Jose, Costa Rica
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