Who Will You Meet in the Rainforest? Part 4: Amphibians
A couple species of frog are regularly featured in tourist literature, but the chances of glimpsing one in the rainforest are either slim or impossible. For example, the red-eyed tree frog, whose curious eyes and glittering skin seem to embody the wonder and beauty of the rainforest, is rarely spotted. They descend from the upper levels of the forest at the height of the rainy season in March and April, and with luck may be spotted at night by the ponds where they gather to mate.
Another often advertised species with a sad and mysterious story is the golden toad, the males a striking metallic orange unlike any other known frog. Discovered in 1964 within an extremely limited range in the forests of Monteverde, the toad’s population cataclysmically declined in 1988 when a single lonely male was spotted at a pond where the year before fifteen hundred had congregated. None have been spotted since 1989, and although many scientists speculate global climate change is to blame for their disappearance, no one is sure.
Despite the misleading usage of these two emblematic species, several amphibians can be more regularly encountered. The misty cloud forests of the highlands are an especially productive place to search for frogs, although many make their homes in the lowlands as well. Here are some of the most commonly encountered amphibians of Costa Rica.
Rain Frog (Rana de Lluvia)Found throughout the lowlands of Costa Rica’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts, the rain frog has a grainy appearance that helps conceal it from predators. A prominent gold stripe along the upper edge of its large eyes can help to identify the rain frog, along with the yellow spots that occur on the backside of its thighs. The rain frog typically hides in the leaf litter it so excellently blends into during the day and sings at night, where it can most easily be spotted as it rests on the leaves of low vegetation in the forest.
Poison Dart Frog (Rana Venenosa)Their fame often preceding them, the poison dart frogs of Costa Rica can range from the military camouflage of the green and black poison dart frog to the red body and contrasting sapphire legs of the blue jeans poison dart frog, also called the strawberry poison dart frog. Their range varies from the Caribbean lowlands to the south Pacific depending on the species. The frogs’ obvious coloration is a warning to predators that they are highly venomous, and they can even be dangerous to humans if their skin comes in contact with a person’s mouth or an open wound.
Red Spotted Toad - News
Mating calls from red-spotted toads echoed off sandstone walls that nearly touch, leading to pools in a grotto that abruptly ends at the bottom of a 30-foot waterfall. On the way back to camp after a refreshing plunge in waist-high water, I talked with
For example, the red-eyed tree frog, whose curious eyes and glittering skin seem to embody the wonder and beauty of the rainforest, is rarely spotted. They descend from the upper levels of the forest at the height of the rainy season in March and April
Gregg McKee reports Massachusetts angler Bill Downey used a Toad fly to catch and release a 20-pound tarpon on flats off Matlacha, in celebration of his 75th birthday. Cape Tool has been getting reports of tarpon biting early in the morning in
In second grade, she found a toad with a broken leg and decided that it needed to keep still so it could heal. She buried the toad in a shallow hole. When she dug it out three weeks later, it hopped away. Becoming a veterinarian was always her dream,
For the ancient Mayans, it was a jaguar; for the Chinese, a three-legged toad; and for the pre-Hispanic Visayan people of the epicserye Amaya, it was a bakunawa, a gigantic sea serpent. The first recorded use of the word bakunawa was in 1637,
ARKive - Red-spotted toad photo - Rhinella rubropunctata - G119816
≪a href="http://www.arkive.org/red-spotted-toad/rhinella-rubropunctata/image-G119816.html#src=portletV3web" title="ARKive photo - Red-spotted toad" ><img src="http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/8B/8BB34CF4-3BA6-4A2B-B22C-6951A6EB803A/Presentation.Portlet/Red-spotted-toad.
Red Spotted Toad - Bookshelf
A natural history of the Sonoran Desert
LIFE HISTORY The red spotted toad is insectivorous. It breeds mainly after summer rains in quiet pools. The call of the male is a high-pitched musical trill ...Amphibian declines, the conservation status of United States species
Red-spotted toads typically occur in upland habitats, whereas green toads and ... Chorus sizes for the red-spotted toad ranged from 2-65 during 1990-93. ...A Geologic and Natural History Tour Through Nevada and Arizona Along U. S. Highway 93 with GPS Coordinates
Red-spotted toad ... They are the only North American toad to lay their eggs singly, whenever there is rainfall in spring and summer. ...300 frogs, a visual reference to frogs and toads from around the world
Red-spotted Toad Red-spotted Toads are the most widespread of the American ... A Red-spotted Toad in Arizona. These small rock-climbing toads have slightly ...Amphibians and reptiles in Kansas
An adult Red-spotted Toad (Bufo punctatus) from Barber County, Kansas. Photograph by Larry L. Miller. Description: The Red-spotted Toad is characterized by ...Daily Note Directory
Red-spotted Toad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Red-spotted toad (Bufo punctatus) is a small toad species growing to 3.7 to 7.5 centimeters in length. ... The male red-spotted toad has a dusky throat and develops nuptial ...
Red-spotted Toads
A red-spotted toad (Bufo punctatus) is a small, compact toad, 1½- 3" long. Their squat bodies are grayish to olive to brownish in color and are covered ...
Red Spotted Toad (Bufo punctatus)
The red spotted toad is insectivorous. It breeds mainly after summer rains in quiet pools. ... This is the only toad species native to our region that lays its eggs singly. ...
Bufo punctatus
DESCRIPTION: The Red-Spotted Toad can be identified by the flattened head and ... LIFE HISTORY: The Red-Spotted Toad inhabits dry areas normally near permanent ...
Sounds of Anaxyrus punctatus - Red-spotted Toad
This is a 14 second recording of the release calls made by a male Red-spotted toad from ... A male Red-spotted Toad calls at night in San Diego County. ...