Talavera and a team are working hard at preparing the latest order from a company in Miami for 1,200 red-eyed tree frogs and glass frogs, 290 basilisk and pichete lizards, 800 spiders including tarantulas, and 350 boa constrictors.
They are deposited in containers with breathing holes -- the boas into cloth sacks -- before being packed in wooden crates marked "Live Animals" as an environment ministry inspector looks on.
The creatures are not sedated.
"These animals can endure trips of 24 hours and up to three days" without eating, said Talavera.
The shipment will travel by truck to Managua's international airport, from where, after passing through customs, they will depart the next day on a commercial flight to Miami.
The environment ministry promotes the breeding of exotic species, hosting training sessions and congresses to encourage more Nicaraguans among a population of 6.5 million to venture into this lucrative field.
The government says nearly 40,000 Nicaraguan families are already involved in such ventures in one of Latin America's poorest countries.
Exports remain the domain of a handful of private businesses, however.
In 2019, official figures show, the exportation of exotic pets brought in some $300,000, though a recent newspaper article estimated the value at more than double that.
