Tiny 'coffee frog' discovered in Costa Rica's plantations
A newly identified tree frog species makes its home among coffee plants, but agricultural chemicals could put the tiny amphibian at risk.
Scientists have identified a previously unknown species of tree frog living in the coffee-growing region of San Lorenzo de Tarrazu, Costa Rica. Measuring under four centimetres, the dark green-spotted amphibian has been dubbed the "spring frog" and, more colloquially, the "coffee frog" for its habit of perching on coffee shrubs after dark.
The discovery, confirmed by researchers from the University of Costa Rica and Argentina's National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, adds a new endemic species to the country's rich amphibian inventory. Lead researcher Wagner Chaves-Acuna noted that males possess a translucent throat sac that inflates when they emit their short, high-pitched nocturnal calls.
Unlike some wildlife that conflicts with farming, these frogs pose no threat to the crop. They feed on the small insects that inhabit the plantation understorey, ignoring the coffee berries entirely. Their presence could even benefit growers by providing natural pest control.
At night, when they are most active, you can hear them singing and perched on coffee shrubs.
However, Chaves-Acuna warns that the intensive pesticide regimes common in modern coffee production could jeopardise the species. Chemicals drift through the air and leach through soil into the streams and pools where tadpoles develop, creating a pathway for contamination that reaches the frog's most vulnerable life stage.
Conservation implications
The frog's restricted range, currently known only from this locality, makes it particularly sensitive to habitat degradation. Researchers plan further surveys to determine whether the species persists in nearby forest fragments or shade-grown coffee farms that use fewer agrochemicals.
What happens next
Formal description and naming of the species will follow peer review. In the meantime, the discovery adds weight to arguments for biodiversity-friendly certification schemes that reward farmers for preserving the ecological complexity of their land.
