National Geographic Traveler - USA (2019-12 & 2020-01)

NATGEOTRAVEL.COM

PI

OT

R^

NA

SK

RE

CK

I/M

IN

DE

N^

PI

CT

UR

ES

(F

RO

G)

;^ N

G^

MA

PS

THE QUEST

COSTA RICA

The skin of the strawberry

poison dart frog produces

toxins, helping to protect

it from hungry predators.

Then we prowled the leaf litter in forests around

La Quinta Sarapiquí Lodge, two hours north of San

José, finding smoky jungle frogs. Built on the site of

a cattle farm, this family-owned lodge is creating wild

gardens as a habitat to attract frogs, butterflies, small

mammals, and birds.

Along the slow and muddy Sarapiquí River, we

boated past crocodiles that looked irritable as they

watched us, only their eyes and nostrils above the sur-

face. Iguanas gazed down from their treetop perches.

The week became a game of wildlife bingo. At

the Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge, in the mountain town

of La Fortuna, our night tour yielded 13 different frog

species. Guides, like those on the grand safaris of the

Serengeti, communicate by phone; when they find an

interesting creature, everyone rushes for a glimpse.

Rainmaker, a reserve closer to the Pacific coast, is

cherished for its role in the rediscovery of a presumed

extinct species of harlequin frog. Once owned by a local

rice farmer, the land was in danger of being clear-cut.

Now it’s a private sanctuary at the end of a long and

bumpy dirt road, hosting small groups for tours in

search of early birds and late night frogs. But we loved

it most for its incongruous microbrewery, Perro Vida,

which crafts beer from mountain spring water.

In the dark, we hiked across the preserve’s suspen-

sion bridges and up steep trails built with old tires,

stopping to peer into small holes, where we spied

strange, secretive yellow-spotted tropical night lizards.

Each morning, we awoke with the birds and

watched brilliantly colored tanagers gobble down

melons at nearby feeders. Three species of king-

fisher plied local waters. Assemblages of swallows

crisscrossed the sky looking for prey. There were

trogons and toucans, curassows and woodpeckers.

Hummingbirds hovered around flowers, like tiny

emerald and vermilion fighter planes.

During the long, steamy afternoons we tramped

through pristine forests, marveling at the processions

of leafcutter ants. Butterflies—huge Disneyesque

creatures, with iridescent wings—fluttered about.

We spotted alligator lizards and a Cope’s racer snake.

Every evening, as other tourists sipped after-

dinner drinks, we donned ponchos and boots and

equipped ourselves with flashlights and cameras

wrapped in plastic bags.

Once we made the chilling discovery of a poisonous

pit viper—bright yellow, like a toxic banana—up in

the branches, suspended over our trail. Returning to

safety, we celebrated the sighting with a toast.

Then came unexpected news: Guide Carlos

Chavarria heard reports of a resplendent quetzal—the

most iconic bird of the rainforest—at a nearby ridge.

We rushed to join a sunrise pilgrimage. The wait on the

steep ledge felt interminable, with only breeze-ruffled

branches to break the tense silence. Then the big bird

suddenly arrived on a nearby avocado tree, greeted by

gasps and the clatter of camera shutters.

One evening, scanning a pond as dusk descended

and the frogs’ chorus reached a crescendo, we saw

something glare back at our flashlights’ beam. It was

a pair of eyes. There are 149 different frogs and toads

in Costa Rica; so far, we’d seen 22. Was this another?

Yes. It was a Vaillant’s frog, strong and sturdy.

Starkey picked it up, and we gathered around in admi-

ration. Then he loosened his gentle grip, and it leaped

to freedom. Silently I bade it good luck and prayed that

many future generations would follow.

LISA KRIEGER ( @lisamkrieger) is the science

writer for the San Jose Mercury News.

600 mi

600 km

COSTA

RICA

NICAR.

HOND.

PAN.

COL.

ECUA.

CUBA

MEX.

PACIFIC OCEAN

Car

ibbe

an

Sea

Gulf of Mexico