Mangrove Swamps
Mangroves are found only along the muddy shores of salt or brackish water in the tropics. These peculiar trees play an important part in land formation in such places for they keep growing farther and farther into the water and the accumulation about their roots makes new land. They are admirably adapted to live in mud flats. Roots branch out from the trunk in every direction and keep it upright on the soft bottom. The seeds germinate before they drop off, each forming a long spike like root which penetrates the mud so that it is not washed away after it falls. Roots are sent along just beneath the surface of the mud and many small aerial rootlets grow upward from these which enable the
Mangrove Swamp. Prop roots support the small tree in the foreground and are growing down from the large tree further back. Many aerial roots are sticking up from the mud.
mangroves to survive in the salty water of the foul mud flats by absorbing substances from the atmosphere.
In the mangrove swamps along the Colombian coast we had a most exciting time. Mr. Trout towed our bongo (dug-out canoe) out on the Cienaga Grande, a large estuary, with his launch, and we spent several days at the edge of the mangroves. At night we were obliged to pull out into the middle of the Cienaga, for the mosquitoes were unbearable. One evening a vampire bat took the liberty of biting one of the party on the top of the head while he slept. Two of us had been hunting with jack-lights and on returning found him with his hair full of blood.
