4 .
with prop roots hiding Tarantula Hawk Wasps
(while their sting only lasts about five minutes, it’s
five minutes of unendurable agony); aggressive
Fer-de-lance vipers (Bothrops asper) and the even
more venomous bushmaster (Lachesis spp.), neither
of which we encounter. The only snakes that do
make an appearance are a small, white, worm-like
colubrid and a Northern Cat-eyed Snake (Leptodeira
septentrionalis) that Torres catches with little effort.
Petrified, the reptile flicks its tongue incessantly.
We wind further into the selva (jungle), pausing
more often now for the critters that nightfall has
lured out of hiding. A rather rare Loquacious Tree
Frog (Hyla loquax), a talkative yellow frog with some
red on the legs and a dappling of spots, extends its
webbed foot, as if in friendship. Nope…can’t be
fooled by harmless appearances. Jason warns us this
one’s a little toxic.
5 .
6 .
The trail rounds a bend, flanked on both sides by
conspicuous, algae-filled pools of water. “Look,
there,” I cry, aiming my index finger at an enormous
mouse-eating Central American Bullfrog
(Leptodactylus pentadactylus).
Jason interjects, “That’s the male. The female of the
species, she’s WAY bigger!” I can hardly imagine a
frog larger than the one wallowing in the mossy
slime at the water’s edge. Camera lenses are
whirring…though less often than the click, click, click
of multiple cellphones.
Also known as the Smoky Jungle Frog,
L. pentadactylus, perhaps predictably given its size,
is sometimes consumed by humans. However, it is
not without defence, as it is capable of deterring
predators with large quantities of toxic (and slip-
pery) mucus. These frogs may live up to 15 years, and