Discovery of a new species of frog... in Costa Rica

A new species of frog, characterized by its small size, nocturnal activity, and greenish hue, has been discovered in Costa Rica. These animals have adopted coffee trees as their habitat, although this poses a threat to them due to the agricultural chemicals used in these plantations.

Wagner Chaves-Acuna, one of the authors of the study conducted by Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council and the University of Costa Rica, told Agence France-Presse (AFP), “It is a new species of tree frog... endemic to Costa Rica.”

AFP journalists spotted these dark green, spotted amphibians, which do not exceed four centimeters in length, in the mountainous village of San Lorenzo de Tarrazu in the San Jose province.

Chaves-Acuna said, “At night, when they are most active, you can hear them singing while perched on coffee trees.”

These frogs seek shade, moisture, and food among coffee crops, but they do not consume coffee berries; instead, they prefer feeding on the small insects found within the plants.

Specimens of the frogs were also found in areas distant from coffee plantations.

However, Chaves-Acuna warned that coffee trees could pose a risk to these small amphibians due to the use of pesticides intended to protect the crops, although no studies have confirmed this yet.

He said, “These toxins spread through the air... and seep into the soil, eventually reaching the aquatic environments where the tadpoles develop.”