Blog

Posted on

Leptodactylus savagei

That’s the species name with there being 5 different species of Leptodactylus genus frogs in Costa Rica, all five appearing on the Pacific Slope and 3 on the Caribbean or Atlantic Slope. World-wide there are 75 species of Leptodactylus! This Leptodactylus savagei appears on both slopes of Costa Rica and was earlier called “Savage’s Thin-toed Frog,” but now goes by two common names: “Central American Bullfrog” and “Smoky Jungle Frog.” This genus Leptodactylus is the largest frog in Costa Rica (and probably all of Central America.) This particular species appears from Honduras to Colombia.

Leptodactylus savagei, Central American Bullfrog or Smoky Jungle Frog, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica

I just got a new Amphibian Field Guide here at this lodge which will help me to better identify and explain the sightings and photos I post on this site. There are 3 other frogs pictured in my Central American Bullfrog GALLERY and I’m reasonably certain that they are all in the genus Leptodactylus, but I need to study them more to specify the exact species. I don’t think they are all “savagei.”

This was just one more of the creatures spotted and photographed on my private Night Walk last night, seen at the lodge’s “Frog Pond” just like the Red-eyed Tree Frogs I posted early this morning. I will be posting other creatures from that night walk here in time.   🙂

Posted on

Red-eyed Tree Frog

My main reason for going on “Night Hikes” is to get more photos of this beautiful symbol of Costa Rica that almost looks “unreal” with his bright colors and “other worldly” look. But he is very real and best photographed with a cellphone as these two were, in the light of a flashlight. Just one more totally cool thing about living retired in Costa Rica!   🙂

I got a lot of other photos of other frogs, snakes, spiders, other insects, but these were my two favorite, so all for now with more to be shared another time.

 

Red-eyed Tree Frog, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
Red-eyed Tree Frog, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

 

Posted on

Christmas Day Very Busy!

As I celebrated living in Costa Rica for 8 years, I had a very special Christmas Eve Dinner and this morning went to the Butterfly Conservancy in El Castillo on the lake, then hiked one of the trails here at Arenal Observatory and after another great dinner of baby back ribs, I’m going on a private Night Hike, just me and the guide! It was their suggestion since with the regular night hike of a group of 10 they knew I would find it difficult to make photos. Most of “my” lodges here really take care of this old man!  🙂 Photos from the night hike will come tomorrow.

And I haven’t had time to process photos of butterflies or anything else today, so here’s photos of the great sunny weather we had today and my first view this week of the volcano! The lake shot was at about sunset time, though the sun is not seen there this time of year, it’s still more pleasant with clear skies!  🙂  Much more to share tomorrow!

Every day so far this trip the volcano has been covered in clouds until . . .
. . . beautiful blue skies all day today – the first time to see Arenal Volcano from Arenal Observatory Lodge.
Arenal Lake at about sunset time today, Arenal Observatory Lodge.

 

 

 

 

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Threatened Species Seen This Morning

Brilliant Forest Frog (iNaturalist link) or Warszewitsch’s frog, Rana warszewitschii, is a species of frog in the Ranidae family found in Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, rivers, intermittent rivers, plantations, rural gardens, urban areas, and heavily degraded former forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.  ~iNaturalist

Brilliant Forest Frog, a threatened species at Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica

I found it this morning in the “Frog Pond” of Arenal Observatory Lodge where I usually find Red-eyed Tree Frogs on night walks here. (I’m getting a private night walk later this week for photos.) The guys at the front desk had no idea of the ID and at first I could not find it on the web, but they helped me with this ID using one of the fold-out ID charts they sell and I followed up with the above link to an iNaturalist website.  🙂

Sign at the Frog Pond, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica.

When I did a Google Search for “Brilliant Forest Frog” one of my 2019 blog posts came up on this species I saw at Macaw Lodge which has different hind legs but “Brilliant Forest Frog” is what that lodge staff told me it was. The beige top and wide black stripe down the side are the same. Maybe they are cousins?   🙂

See that other frog with this ID in my Brilliant Forest Frog GALLERY. They may or may not be the same species.  🙂

Or better yet, see my bigger Amphibians Costa Rica GALLERY.

¡Pura Vida!

And MERRY CHRISTMAS or ¡Feliz Navidad!

 

 

Posted on

Rusty-spotted Satyr

I’ve photographed 7 species of butterflies so far and 10 species of birds with rain coming down most of my time here (it is a rainforest!). 🙂 I’m sharing this one tonight because it is my only “lifer” or first time seen wildlife here so far this trip. For those who know the lodge, it was seen on the “River Trail. “

Rusty-spotted Satyr, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica.
Rusty-spotted Satyr, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Rainy Morning Determination

This little Rufous-tailed Hummingbird was determined to continue eating nectar from the nearby Porterweed Flowers when he rested for a moment on this Red Ginger Flower. As I’m posting at about 11 am the rain has finally stopped and the sun coming out, so my post-poned morning hiked will be about now! 🙂 – P.S. – Right after posting this I start to go out and the rain starts again – Awww . . . shucks! More rain photography!

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Volcan Arenal National Park, Costa Rica.

Yes – the photo was made in the rain!

See more in my Rufous-tailed Hummingbird GALLERY.

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Turkey Vulture Soars . . .

. . . over the neighborhood, looking for lunch.

Turkey Vulture, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Not a popular bird, but I think they are beautiful soaring on the wind currents overhead! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

My Turkey Vulture GALLERY

And possibly I will have a post tonight from Arenal Observatory Lodge, the first night of my Christmas week adventure in the forest below a volcano.

Posted on

Kahili Ginger Lily

I asked my gardener to plant some different species of Heliconia in my Heliconia flower bed that then had only three species of the dozens available here. Four weeks ago he planted 4 different plants, not indicating what any of them were. This first one was the most different-looking for a Heliconia (which I just learned it’s not!) but I was still pleased to see that it is the first of the four new plants to bloom! I’m writing this ahead on Sunday with 3 photos, each a day apart (Fri-Sat-Sun), and if it changes as much as I expect by Tuesday (the 5th day) I will add another photo of a much fuller bloom for this post scheduled for Wednesday morning the 21st. 🙂

After searching heliconia species online and not finding this, I tried other searches and finally discovered that it is “Hedychium gardnerianum, the Kahili ginger, Yellow ginger lily, Kahila garland-lily, wild ginger or ginger lily.“ It is in the ginger family of flowers (Zingiberaceae), native to India, which makes it fine for our tropical climate here, and I’m already pleased with this new flower, even if not a heliconia! 🙂

For the emailed post announcement, I have only “Day 1” photo, the green plant with a green bud here (last Friday). You will have to click the “Read More” link to see the progressive versions of this beautiful flower! 🙂

DAY 1: The dark green, spiky plant – different from Heliconias! The green bud is at top center.
Continue reading “Kahili Ginger Lily”
Posted on

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana. . .

. . . in my Higueron or Strangler Fig Tree (Big Ficus). The tree just lost its leaves again which makes it a little easier to see birds or other wildlife like this, though with so many tight limbs it is like “he is behind bars!” 🙂 And this tree has few open spaces where I could have gotten a clear view of his whole body, plus he continued higher up where I could not see him at all. This variety of iguana is the only kind I’ve seen in my yard or anywhere else in Atenas, while many of the lodges I visit also have the Green Iguana which is more colorful but with the same behavior high in trees and sometimes on the ground. See my separate photo galleries:

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Black Spiny-tailed Iguana. . .”