The rainy season part 2: Other frog species in Costa Rica
Did you know… in the wet months the frogs in Costa Rica show themselves more often? They are less prone to drying out because of the wetness and are singing because many species lay their eggs in the rainy season. Earlier we talked about the glass frogs, but there are many more frogs to be seen in this period.
Tree frogs often lay their eggs in or above (temporary) pools of rainwater. The advantage is that these pools are usually free of fish, so there is less chance that the eggs or tadpoles are eaten. During wet nights the males gather around the pools to sing and attract females.
Species from the great genus Craugastor have an even more ingenious way of reproduction to prevent predation (eating their eggs). Most species lay their eggs in small puddles that form on dead leaves or dimples in the ground, without aquatic predators (predators in the water). From the eggs miniature frogs are formed, they skip the whole tadpole step. This is how these frogs deal with the high predation pressure in the rainforest. But it also brings risks: when the little water dries up before the frogs develop, they dry out.
Below an overview of some of the species we regularly see during the night tour in the Work with Nature reserve.
Red-eyed Leaf Frog
Tawny Tree Frog
Pygmy Rain Frog
Masked Litter Frog
Drab Tree Frog
Common Rain Frog
Boulenger’s Long-snouted Tree Frog
Tink Frog
Did you already read our article about glass frogs? Click here
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