Nocturnal ‘coffee frog’ discovered in Costa Rica
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The dark green-spotted amphibians thrive in coffee plantations, feeding on the small insects in the habitat.
PHOTO: AFP
- A new species of small, nocturnal tree frog, called the 'coffee frog' or 'spring frog,' has been discovered in Costa Rica's central Pacific region.
- The frog lives in coffee plantations, feeds on insects, and males have a translucent throat that inflates when calling at night.
- Researchers warn that pesticides used in coffee farming may harm these frogs by contaminating soil and water where tadpoles develop.
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SAN LORENZO DE TARRAZU, Costa Rica – A tiny greenish, nocturnal frog that thrives in coffee plantations has been discovered in Costa Rica’s central Pacific region, where it also faces risks from agrochemicals used in farming.
Measuring less than 4cm long and known as the “spring frog”, the dark green-spotted amphibians were observed by AFP reporters in San Lorenzo de Tarrazu.
“It’s a new species of tree frog for science, and endemic to Costa Rica,” researcher Wagner Chaves-Acuna told AFP, per the findings of colleagues from the University of Costa Rica and Argentina’s National Council for Scientific and Technical Research.
Also nicknamed the “coffee frog”, the species has another distinctive trait: Males have a translucent throat that inflates with their short, high-pitched call.
“At night, when they are most active, you can hear them singing and perched on coffee shrubs,” Chaves-Acuna said.
Generally, the frogs seek out shade, moisture and food in the crops – but they are not after the coffee berries, feeding instead on the small insects in the habitat.
Chaves-Acuna warns that pesticide use on coffee plantations could potentially pose a risk to these tiny amphibians.
“These poisons travel through the air... they seep through the soil and that’s where they enter the aquatic systems where the tadpoles develop,” Chaves Acuna said. AFP
