Costa Rica's recently discovered "coffee frogs" sing in plantations, but pesticides threaten them - CBS News
A newly rediscovered species of tree frog, known as the 'coffee frog,' has been identified in Costa Rica. Researchers warn that the species is currently threatened by the use of agrochemicals on local coffee plantations.
Why it matters
The discovery highlights the delicate balance between agricultural economic activity and the preservation of endemic biodiversity.
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.Measuring less than 4 centimeters and known as the "spring frog," AFP reporters observed the dark green-spotted amphibians in San Lorenzo de Tarrazu."It's a new species of tree frog for science and endemic to Costa Rica," researcher Wagner Chaves-Acuna told AFP, per the findings of colleagues from the University of Costa Rica and Argentina's National Council for Scientific and Technical Research.The tiny frog was first observed in the 1960s, but it was incorrectly identified as another species, according to Costa Rica's National Alliance for the Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles (ANCAR).
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