Nocturnal ‘coffee frog’ discovered in Costa Rica

AFP

8 Aug, 2026 01:54 AM2 mins to read

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A “Rana de las nacientes” (Isthmohyla nacientes), a newly discovered frog species nicknamed the “coffee frog”, in San Jose, Costa Rica. Photo / AFP

A tiny greenish, nocturnal frog that thrives in coffee plantations has been discovered in Costa Rica’s central Pacific region, where it also faces risks from agrochemicals used in farming.

Measuring less than 4cm 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.

Also nicknamed the “coffee frog”, the species has another distinctive trait: males have a translucent throat that inflates with their short, high-pitched call.

“At night, when they are most active, you can hear them singing and perched on coffee shrubs,” Chaves-Acuna said.