health
Costa Rica's recently discovered "coffee frogs" sing in plantations, but pesticides threaten them
A tiny greenish, nocturnal frog that thrives in coffee plantations was discovered in Costa Rica's central Pacific region, where it also faces risks from agrochemicals used in farming.
TL;DR
- A new species of nocturnal, greenish tree frog has been discovered in Costa Rica's central Pacific region, inhabiting coffee plantations.
- The frog, less than 4 centimeters long, is endemic to Costa Rica and was confirmed as a new species in 2021 after initial observations in the 1960s.
- Males possess a distinctive translucent throat that inflates when they produce short, high-pitched calls.
- These frogs feed on insects found in the coffee plantations, not the coffee berries.
- The species faces risks from agrochemicals, waste dumping, increased tourism, and vegetation loss due to invasion of protected areas.