1 .
Tiger Frog or Splendid Leaf
Frog (Cruziohyla calcarifer).
Image by Kevin Wells
Photography.
2 .
Central American Whiptail
Ameiva (Holcosus festivus).
Image by Gustavo Lillo.
3 .
Masked Tree Frog (Smilisca
phaeota). Image by Gustavo Lillo.
4 .
3 .
The author with a Red-eyed
Tree Frog in the ranaria at La Paz
Waterfall Gardens, Cost Rica’s
number one ecological attraction
and a great place to experience the
country’s endemic wildlife., Image
by Gustavo Lillo.
the safety of a bromeliad filled with water. There the
tadpoles grow, nurtured by unfertilized eggs the
female produces to satisfy their need for protein.
Quite the doting mother.
The Green and Black Poison Dart Frog in the case
alongside lingers stationary on a wet rock, perhaps
surreptitiously eyeing his surroundings for an
appetizing afternoon snack. “Do you know how frogs
hunt?” Jimenez enquires. We shrug; evidently, John
has some clever anecdote he wants to share.
Immediately, he squats down on all fours, spacing
the digits of his hand out wide, to mimic the individ-
ual toes of the frog. Pulling back all but one finger
on his left hand, he chuckles, “Now, when the insect
comes along, he thinks that one little wiggling finger
is a worm, and as he edges closer…the frog snatches
him up with its tongue.”
Jimenez gets back to his feet and the three of us
move into the interior of the ranario. A Masked Tree
Frog (Smilisca phaeota) - brown and green with
yellow spots - sits on a floating lily pad, while a
Leopard Tree Frog (Hypsiboas pardalis) of similar
shading makes a terrific leap. “People eat those,”
John states matter-of-factly. Abruptly changing the
subject, he says, “I suppose you’d like to get some
great pictures. I can help with that.” He eases a Tiger
Frog (Cruziohyla calcarifer) onto a small branch,
where it remains suspended by its toes, showing off
the brilliant orange-with-black, striped underside.
Next up, a photo opportunity with everybody’s
favourite mascot of the Costa Rican rainforest - the
uber-common Red-eyed Tree frog.
Nowhere near as good-looking, a Cane Toad
(Rhinella marina) is also vying for our attention….
perhaps he thinks it’s feeding time. One mouse per
week, served alive and kicking. With a snap of the
tongue, and an ooze of saliva thick as honey, the
4 .
amphibian pops the rodent into its mouth and
swallows. Apparently, no chewing allowed. “These
toads are friends of agriculture, because they don’t
eat the vegetables, only the insects,” John informs us,
contrary to the perception that Cane Toads are
nothing but a pest.
As we retreat from the sanctum, the rain has once
again begun to pitter patter on the rooftop. Poncho
hoods go up, as does the shared umbrella, and the
two of us continue down the meandering trails of La
Paz, in the direction of the Trout Lake and abundant
waterfalls. The squawk of a Red-lored Parrot
(Amazona autumnalis) slices through the under-
growth like a knife. A juvenile Central American
Whiptail Ameiva (Holcosus festivus) skitters full tilt
across the path in front of us, its turquoise tail
disappearing quickly into the ferns. One hundred
percent genuine tico pristine wilderness, teeming
with some of the world’s most unique creatures.