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
Is it possible to restore the original rainforest in a deforested area where cows have been grazing for years? In Costa Rica at least they accept the challenge. This article tells in short how a Dutch foundation in Costa Rica is trying to transform degraded land back into a fully fledged rainforest. (more…)
In the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica most rain falls in May to August. The fact that it rains is good for all life of course, but can be quite difficult for our biologists in the Work with Nature reserve; the paths become muddy, the laundry doesn’t dry and the project is sometimes briefly inaccessible because rivers are filling up. (more…)
What’s with the fur? Why do sloths sleep so much? This month, the three-fingered sloth is the animal of the month at Adopt Rainforest. And what’s more fun than hearing from one of the founders of Adopt Rainforest some fun facts that you won’t find in a standard biology book. Maarten van der Beek is one of the biologists at Adopt Rainforest and lives on the Work With Nature reserve in Costa Rica. (more…)
Despite the fact that there are no students because of the Corona crisis, the research continues (partly).
In the Netherlands, some students are busy analysing data, but also in Costa Rica inventories are still being made. Accompanied by guide Tapa, Hanneke and Maarten walk the transects in different habitats.
High time for biodiversity Did you know that 5% of all species of flora and fauna in the world live and grow in Costa Rica? Also, Costa Rica is in the global top 20 countries with the greatest biodiversity! Are you a real nature lover? Then put Costa Rica on your bucket list. But… before […]
Now that student Sonny, a pure night tour specialist, is about to finish his internship, a lot of great discoveries are made at the last minute. To top it all off, last week we found a special glass frog in the reserve. This Hyalinobatrachium dianae – Diane’s Bare-hearted Glass Frog was only discovered and described […]
Costa Rica is known for its beautiful nature, a country with an exceptionally high diversity of plants and animals (one of the highest percentages of biodiversity in the world). A country for the true ecotourist. Over the past twenty years, ecotourism has become increasingly important to Costa Rica. In 2019, there were nearly 3 million tourists in Costa Rica of which 80% are considered ecotourists. (more…)
Last summer we were able to open the proverbial champagne bottle again! Despite all external influences, we managed to formalize the purchase of a beautiful and especially strategically important piece of rainforest! It concerns the 9 hectares on which the research center is located. (more…)
