psychodelic frogs from costa rica

[Gato Moteado]

i'll buy an ice cold imperial for the first person to correctly identify the genus and species of these two species of frogs (which i just photographed last week on my property):

[ThomWV]

1. Be Very Careful

Particularly of that little orange bastard. Some frogs have secretions from their skin which are very poisionous. In fact I believe one of the most deadly substances on earth comes from just such a frog from down in Bolivia or somewhere like that.

[Gato Moteado]

5. yeah these guys are toxic

but all frogs and toads are.

i've handled these before. this particular genus isn't really dangerous unless you eat them.

but you're right, there are some from a related genus that are highly toxic. i believe the most toxic ones are in ecuador.

[Richard D]

17. There is a tribe in Peru . . .

. . . that uses them for medicine. The scrape off the toxic secretions from a poison dart frog, then either then burn a small area of skin or lightly puncture it, then rub on the toxin. Supposed to be quite an experience with stuff coming out of all orifices, heart rate going through the roof, and in other ways quite unpleasant. Afterward though you feel reborn.

I didn't try it.

[Gato Moteado]

21. yeah, that would scare me

especially since the toxin from some of the phyllobates species will bring down big game when arrows are coated with the poison.

[Deja Q]

40. Can I be the exception to the rule?

O8) :D

[cwydro]

2. wow

I can look that up for you...but in the meantime...I'd be careful...usually bright colors (especially red) are nature's way of saying BACK OFF.

[Gato Moteado]

22. yes, bright red means "leave me alone"

monarch butterflies are another good example of this.

[Richard D]

3. Got one

Harlequin Poison Dart Frogs - Dendrobates histrionicus

[Gato Moteado]

7. close!

but wrong.

[Richard D]

10. Then . . .

Dendrobates auratus

[Gato Moteado]

12. bingo!

you got 'em!

good job. you'll have to come down here to collect your free beer!

ok, smarty pants. identify this one:

[Richard D]

19. Yipes,

Is that it's real color? From Costa Rica?

[Gato Moteado]

20. ;-)

that's a tough one, eh?

[Richard D]

28. I think you got me on this one

No idea.

[Gato Moteado]

32. i confess...

i was just messin' with ya.

that's one of the native US tree frogs that i photographed and then colored purple in photoshop.

i've freaked a couple of biologists out with that one.

[Richard D]

34. Now . . .

. . . that will cost you another beer!

[Gato Moteado]

35. hell, i'll split a 6 pack with you.....

and when we're done with that, i'll make some cuba libres with flor de cana dark rum. then we'll go to my finca in sarapiqui and watch the Basiliscus plumifrons run across the top of the water. i have caimans and crocodiles there too.

[Richard D]

36. Might take you up on it someday!

Hoping to visit Costa Rica in the next year or two.

[NV Whino]

39. Frogus Photoshopus

[Gato Moteado]

42. correct.

i don't know of any that come in that color naturally. but it would be cool.

[jmowreader]

41. That's the Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka

If the Mexican Staring Frog locks eyes with you, you're dead.

[Richard D]

8. Number 2

Dendrobates pumilio

[Gato Moteado]

9. got that one right!

good job.

[Richard D]

11. Yiha - half way there

[Gato Moteado]

25. believe it or not....

the D. pumilio was about two meters up the side of a tree and still climbing when i photographed him. these guys are not tree frogs, yet they apparently like to climb trees.

i only saw a few last saturday, but there have been days when i've seen hundreds of D. pumilio on a short walk along one of my trails. at certain times of the year they are thick.

i have not seen D. granuliferus yet but supposedly they're there also.

[Liberal Veteran]

4. Darn...I thought this was gonna be a thread about toad licking.

:shrug:

[Gato Moteado]

15. you don't want to lick these bad boys......

now i've never tried it but supposedly you can trip by licking the back of a Bufo marinus (the giant marine toads that have overrun most of florida).

supposedly the colorado river toad (another Bufo species) secretes a toxin that is also a powerful hallucigenic.

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. I don't know...

But you are one lucky dog to live in a place with such wonderful fauna!

:toast:

[babylonsister]

13. They're gorgeous! nt

[SlavesandBulldozers]

14. top one

Green and Black Poison Frog
Dendrobates auratus


bottom one
Blue and Red Poison Arrow Frog
Order: Anura

Family: Dendrobatidae

Genus and species: Pendrobats pumilio

[Gato Moteado]

18. great job!

unless you're a herpetologist or herpetophile, in which case it was an easy question.

come on down to costa rica and your first brew is on me.

i thought the D. pumilio might be tricky. that particular specimen didn't have much blue on the legs. down here they call them "blue jeans frogs" because most of them have hind legs that are completely blue. here's one i photographed at my place a month or two ago that has the characteristic blue legs:

[SlavesandBulldozers]

37. I've heard it's beautiful down there.

Thanks for the offer of a brew. I'd love to take you up on it sometime. (and no I'm not a herpetologist or the very bizarre other ologist you invented;)

I've been to the (relatively) dry-forests in the central yucatan and seen some amazing fauna, but nothing quite like what you've seen I'm sure.

I did, however, see a frog in the Yucatan that was gigantic. I'm talking like size 5 soccerball big.

On edit: I think my best memory of the yucatan is the birds singing in the morning. Those amazing birds have such beautiful songs, and such a chorus of different tones and rhythms. Amazing. I'm sure the songs you hear are just as cool.

[Gato Moteado]

38. yeah, the bird calls in the rain forest are magical

some are beautiful and melodic. some are sad or eery (the toucan is one). some sound almost metalic or like they've been digitally produced (the oropendula and the black faced solitaire, for example). one bird sounds like a person whistling for a taxi. one of the species of mannakins makes a noise with its wings that sounds like the cracking of a whip.

[SpiralHawk]

16. Reptilius Republickanus?

Just kinda takin a shot in the dark

[Gato Moteado]

23. no way.....

these little guys are much smarter than repubs

[GOPisEvil]

24. Beautiful pictures!

[Gato Moteado]

26. when are you coming down for a visit?

the ticas are all asking about you, man!

[GOPisEvil]

27. We'll see.

Now that I'm not working, that's a more difficult proposition. Ask me again in 6 months.

[Gato Moteado]

29. what?

what happened? i'm outta the loop? did you quit?

[GOPisEvil]

30. I sent you an e-mail yesterday.

But yeah...I quit. I'm going to paralegal school. I'm thinking about taking a temp job with the IRS starting in January to tide me over until I figure something else out.

[Gato Moteado]

33. oh wow, man

must have gone to gmail. i haven't checked that account today. lemme check it out.

[TroubleMan]

31. "Homer, are you licking frogs?"

"I'm not not licking frogs"



"Save me Jeebus!!"