‘Extinct’ Frog Rediscovered in Costa Rica

24/09/2006 00:00:00 A critically endangered frog, thought to have become extinct, has just been rediscovered in Costa Rica by Manchester Museum Curator Andrew Gray and local naturalist Mark Wainwright. After receiving special permission from the Costa Rican authorities to work in the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, they were there on to work with rare Green-eyed Frogs, Rana vibicaria, at their last known breeding site. Many amphibian species have dissapeared completely from such high altitude areas over the last twenty five years, where a changing climate and fungal infection are suspected to be the causes. A significant crash in the amphibian population occurred at Monteverde in the late 80’s, when many species dissapeared without trace, including the Golden Toad, Bufo pereglines. 16 hour trek
During the 16 hour trek into the remotest part of the reserve, they faced some challenging weather conditionswhich made some sections of the mountain trail particularly trecherous. At one piont, Andrew and Mark, had to cross the middle of a massive landslide where the slightest slip could have proved fatal. Even after an arudous trek, they chose to go looking for frogs at night. It was a decision they did not regret, as this was when they heard a totally unrecognisable frog call.

The frog in question was calling from a high branch and so Andrew had to scale the slippery, moss-covered trunk in his wellington boots, extending his reach precariously along the bough in his effort to retrieve the vocalizing male.

First sighting for 20 years
He said ‘One look at the specimen in my hand and I knew I had caught something very special’. And so he had, for the beautiful brown and metalic-green treefrog was Isthomhyla rivularis - a nocturnal species. The species had dissapeared from Monteverde along with the Golden Toad, almost 20 years ago, and, no-one had seen it since. Although Andrew could have collected the prize specimen, he decided it would only be right to leave it in the wild and, after taking several unique photographs, he released the frog exactly where it was found. The significant find has excited biologist and conservationists around the globe, many of whom have been searching for such a species at Monteverde themselves. It also provides new hope that other species considered to be extinct, such as the Golden Toad, may have also survived and await similar discovery.

Courtesy of Andrew R. Gray, Curator of Herpetology, The Manchester Museum.