A few words about myself.

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Chelydra serpentina maybe?

May very well be it...

[Ilian Velikov]

The turtle is definitely a snapper, 100 %.

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

C. acutirostris, apparently.

[Ilian Velikov]

C. acutirostris, apparently.

Oh, yeah I keep on forgeting that the South American one is a different species.

[miguel santos]

I think I have the correct names from those 3 herps I took back then in Ecuador.
My thanks for that !
To finish my own introduction, I post now a few pictures from Costa Rica taken in 1998. I need some help with the small lizards and the turtle which had a shield of about 20 cm if I remenber correctly.

Miguel

[Ilian Velikov]

Lizards, do look like anoles but not sure which species.

The turtle's shape of head and shell is not that of a mud turtle. It's a Rhinoclemmys, most likely Rhinoclemmys annulata - Brown Wood Turle. Even though it's covered with mud you can still see the ridge along the middle of the carapace, there's a bit of yellow showing from the plastron, and you can just about distinguish some yellow lines on the head and front feet.

for comparison - http://www.reptarium.cz/content/photo_rd_03/Rhinoclemmys-annulata-03000031406_01.jpg

[miguel santos]

Thanks Ilian, I had a look on internet and You are spot-on.
I did actually clean the turtle after I took this picture but because I had to take the picture with flash, It reflected so much that this picture turned out to be much better then the "clean" one.
I do remember to see the ridge you mention in the middle of the shield.

Miguel