Almost half of Costa Rica is covered by forests that host an array of flora and fauna, including a newly discovered specie of glass frogs.
Approximately four and a half percent of the world’s biodiversity can be found in Costa Rica, which is slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia. Twenty-five percent of the country is made up of protected nature reserves and forests. Costa Rica is home to about 12,000 species of plants and 1,400 different types of orchids. Many of these orchids are endemic, meaning they are unique to this geographic region. Wildlife diversity is also high in Costa Rica. The country is host to 838 species of birds, 232 species of mammals, 181 species of freshwater fish and 441 species of amphibians and reptiles. Due to the recent discovery, Costa Rica now contains 14 different species of glass frogs.
However, this extensive biodiversity is currently threatened.
As the population of Costa Rica has grown, people have been cutting down the forests in pursuit of greater profits. Cutting down forests provides pastureland for cattle ranches that produce beef which is sold on the world market. It is estimated that approximately 60 percent of Costa Rican forestland has been cleared for cattle ranching since the 1950s.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) regularly puts out the Red List, a listing of endangered species in each country. In 2009, Costa Rica had a total of 256 endangered species.
A Minnesota scientist conducting research in Costa Rica has recently discovered the 14th specie of glass frog and brought a new interest to their amazing appearance. The name “glass frog” is derived from their translucent appearance, which allows observers to see their internal organs. Their liver, heart and intestines can be seen when observed from underneath. This lack of pigmentation is clearly apparent and continues to baffle scientists as they try to find an explanation.
Their light green coloration helps these nocturnal amphibians remain undetectable during daylight hours while they hide on the undersides of leaves. They possess excellent eyesight for detection of prey and are carnivores, eating soft-bodied insects and spiders. Glass frogs are important to the ecosystem because they keep the number of insects in control, but their small size of about one inch puts them on the menu of snakes, mammals and birds.
They are highly territorial, with males vocalizing to announce to other males that the territory they are in is occupied.
If their announcement is ignored, they will become aggressive and grapple fiercely with other males who trespass on their territory.
They are arboreal animals, spending their lives in trees. Their average lifetime is between 10 and 14 years in the wild.
Brian Kubicki, the senior author of the paper describing the new species, established the Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center in 2002.
His goal was to create a project specifically focused on conducting biological research on amphibians in Costa Rica. He has been living in Costa Rica since 1998 and has invested thousands of hours to intense fieldwork. Since his arrival, his research has been focused on obtaining a better understanding of the taxonomy, biogeography and natural history of Costa Rican amphibians. He named the newly discovered frog Hyalinobatrachium dianae in honor of his mother Janet Diane Kubicki.
Kubicki says that the lime-green amphibian has a long whistle similar to an insect. The authors distinguished H. dianae from other glass frogs due to its unique combination of morphological characteristics, whistle and genes.
Costa Rica’s last glass frog discovery occurred in 1973. The new species was discovered due to six specimens collected at three different sites along the Caribbean slopes of Costa Rica, between 400 to 900 meters above sea level.
Kubicki describes the small, semi-translucent specimen as “delicate” and a good indicator of the general health of the ecosystem that they inhabit.
One can only wonder how many other new, astounding species exist in this region of the world.
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