Growing Up

**Lemur Leaf Frog (Agalychnis lemur)**

Nearly everyone recognizes the wriggly form of a tadpole. However, not many get to examine their details closely. Notice the changes in the body shape, and other transformations as these Lemur Leaf Frog (Agalychnis lemur) tadpoles “grow up”.

Their name comes from the long, gangly limbs of the adult frogs, and their habits of crawling rather than hopping, in reference to the climbing/crawling movements of lemurs in Madagascar.

These tadpoles in this photograph are the happy consequence of our captive breeding efforts at Northwest Nazarene University (NNU). It is particularly special to see these animals as they are currently listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN 2023). Thankfully, after disappearing from most of their range, these frogs are slowly starting to make a comeback in a few areas of Costa Rica and Panama.

Details:
©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photos (composite image) taken Aug. 22, 2021 in Idaho USA using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, and three Nikon SB600 flashes. Exposure 1/100 sec at f/22, ISO 100. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Defense

**Pug-nosed Anole (Anolis capito)**

Like most reptiles and amphibians, this small lizard would rather go unnoticed. In fact, the beautiful hues of green and brown allow them to blend in with the vegetation of the neotropical forests in which they live. Although they can’t change colors as drastically as chameleons, they can still alter how dark or pale their colors appear. However, when sitting still and blending in doesn't work, they can lose their tail to help them escape. If they have to, they can put on a defensive display that includes gaping their mouth showing their black throat and sharp teeth. And, as a last line of defense they will put their teeth to work!

I found this male Pug-nosed Anole (Anolis capito) while co-leading a Tropical Ecology Lab trip to Costa Rica with NNU students and colleagues. They are relatively common lizards, but often their various modes of defense keep them from being captured!

Details:
©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken May 26, 2021 in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, three Nikon SB600 flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight. Exposure 1/125 sec at f/25, ISO 320. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Dragon’s Fire

Variable Bush Viper

**(Atheris squamigera)**

Whereas some reptiles and amphibians rely on crypsis (staying hidden), others have screamingly loud colors! These colorful species often don’t care if they are noticed because they are poisonous or venomous. This Variable Bush Viper (Atheris squamigera) is among them. Unfortunately, despite the danger posed by “dragon’s fire” (in this case venom), the allure of the treasure sometimes results in poaching and illegal trade of these snakes and many others.

Although these snakes occur in the wilds of eastern Africa, I photographed this individual in Idaho, USA. I was able to serve as the herpetological consultant as part of “Operation Venom”, a sting conducted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the City of Boise Police. This snake along with nearly a hundred others were confiscated. It is important for folks who want to enjoy these creatures to ensure they are captive bred and legally imported!

Details:
©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken Sept. 11, 2020 in Idaho, USA using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro Autofocus Macro Lens, and three Nikon SB600 flashes. Exposure 1/125 sec at f/22, ISO 200. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Flick

Terrestrial Garter Snake

**(Thamnophis elegans)**

Can snakes sting with a “flick” of their forked tongues?!? My earliest encounter with a Terrestrial Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans) was charged with a mixture of apprehension and fascination. I had an irrational fear of its flicking red and black tongue. Ironically, the snake was probably feeling fear as well, and was using its tongue to sense air-borne particles in an effort to ascertain if I was a threat.

In addition to sensing possible predators, snakes use their tongues and the organ in the roof of their mouths (vomeronasal organ or Jacobson’s sense organ) to find mates and to detect their prey. I found the snake in the photograph alongside Common Garter Snakes foraging on a lakeshore in Idaho. I had outgrown my childhood fear of flicking snake tongues, but the tiny toadlets hopping along the shore, had much to fear!

Details:©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken June 13, 2020 in Idaho, USA using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro Autofocus Macro Lens, and three Nikon SB600 flashes. Exposure 1/125 sec at f/22, ISO 320. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Eye of Newt

Rough-skinned Newt

**(Taricha granulosa)**

Have you ever wondered why the recipe of nearly every witches’ brew calls for “eye of newt”? Did witches have something against newts, or is there something more to the story? Well, as it turns out, newts like this Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa) secrete a very potent poison. When they are provoked, they secrete a thick, white substance that among other things, contains tetrodotoxin. When ingested, this toxin binds to nerve cells causing paralysis and death. If the recipe’s purpose was to make a brew of bad intentions, newts are the perfect ingredient!

This particular newt was captured in a small pond in northern Idaho. In the USA, they are much more common in Washington and Oregon. Photographing the newt in a small aquarium allowed me to demonstrate the bumpy texture of its skin, making it clear how they got their common name.

Details:©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken May 28, 2018 in Idaho, USA using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro Autofocus Macro Lens, and three Nikon SB600 flashes. Exposure 1/125 sec at f/14, ISO 100. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Sapo Borracho

Cone-nosed Frog

**(Rhinophrynus dorsalis)**

The Cone-nosed Frog, or Mexican Burrowing Toad as it is also known, is rarely ever seen, even though it occurs from southern Texas, throughout Central America, south to Costa Rica. The reason they are encountered so infrequently is that they spend most of their lives underground. A subterranean life explains their small eyes (not much use underground). They burrow using hardened tubercles on their feet, and their thick, cone-shaped snouts offer them some protection from the ants and termites they eat.

Despite living mostly underground, once a year when the rainy season begins, these frogs emerge en masse. They gather in puddles and ponds where all the males begin singing loudly to attract a mate. The chorus can be quite loud. If you hear their call, you can imagine someone retching after drinking too much alcohol. That is how they got their common name in Spanish, “sapo borracho”, which translates as “drunken toad.” I photographed this “drunken toad” (Rhinophrynus dorsalis) in the dry forests of Santa Rosa National Park, in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica. It is always a treat to find these rarely seen frogs!

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken May 30, 2022 in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, two Nikon SB600 flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight. Exposure 1/125 sec at f/29, ISO 640. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Slug Slurper

**Ringed Snail Eater (Sibon anthrocops)**

This striking snake is known as the tri-colored snail eater (Sibon anthrocops). All of the snakes in this genus eat snails and slugs. They even have specialized teeth to help them extract the soft gooey bodies of snails from their shells. They can “slurp slugs” down even more quickly.

This particular snake was found crossing the road on a rainy night in the Santa Rosa National Park, in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The wet conditions make it good for molluscs to be out, and for slug slurpers to snatch a meal!

Flash

**Coral-spotted Robber Frog (Pristimantis altae)**

During the daytime when this little frog is sleeping, its bright salmon-pink spots are tucked away and hidden. But, when active at night or when startled by a predator, the vivid colors flash into view! The coral-spotted Robber Frog (Pristimantis altae) sports pink and coral hues, whereas the closely related Leopard Robber Frog (P. pardalis) flashes patches of silvery-white.

I found and photographed this frog in the cloud forests of Costa Rica. Not much is known about their biology, and colleagues and I are investigating the possibility of an undescribed species. Details about their lives such as what their mating call sounds like were also unknown until recently.

Armed with red lights and audio recorders, students, colleagues and I set out to discover the secrets of these two species. It wasn’t a flash of colors, but a flash of emotion as we documented and later published our work describing the calls of the coral-spotted Robber Frog (Cossel et al. 2016), and more recently, the Leopard Robber Frog (Cossel et al. 2023).

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken Oct. 6, 2021 in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, two Nikon SB600 flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight. Exposure 1/125 sec at f/25, ISO 400. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Naked Snake

Congo Caecilian

**(Herpele squalostoma)**

This interesting creature might look a bit like a giant earthworm. But, if you were to grab it you would feel that it has a skeleton. The name for this group of creatures is Gymnophiona, which translates as “naked snake”. If you can imagine a snake that has had its scaly skin peeled off, then you can envision that this name is quite appropriate.

The common name for these amphibians is “caecilians” and they are all legless, burrowing animals that have strongly ossified (bony) skulls to stand up to the forces of pushing their heads through moist tropical soil where they live. The subterranean existence doesn’t require sight, so all species have rudimentary eyes. You can see the dark eye spot on this animal, and you might also notice the nostril. But what is that little pale stump sticking out of its head? That is a unique feature of all caecilians, a tentacle that allows them to detect (“taste”) their surroundings.

This particular caecilian is the Congo Caecilian (Herpele squalostoma) and it is part of the live animal collection that we maintain at Northwest Nazarene University.

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken June 13, 2020 in Idaho USA using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, three Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight flash. Exposure 1/125 sec at f/22, ISO 320. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Sizzle

Egyptian Saw-scaled Viper
(Echis pyramidum)

Reptiles and amphibians, like other critters, constantly face the challenges of finding mates and food, but also avoiding predators. As you’ve seen, some species rely on crypsis (hiding), some rely on warning coloration. However, this snake species, the Egyptian Saw-scaled Viper (Echis pyramidum) relies on sounds to warn off potential threats!

Many people from North and Central America recognize the warning sounds made by rattlesnakes. But, their rattle is a very unique structure that only occurs on snakes in the Rattlesnake family.

The Egyptian Saw-scaled Vipers have come up with their own approach. They have a unique way of coiling their bodies that allows them to rub their rough scales against each other on adjacent parts of their body. They can produce this sound nearly continuously. Although not as loud as a rattle, this “sizzling” sound warrants caution, and likely gives these snakes a survival edge!

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken May 20, 2023 at Lake Baringo, Kenya using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, three SB-600 AF Speedlight flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight flash. Exposure 1/60 sec at f/22, ISO 320, exp +2.7 step. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Blink

Central American Banded Gecko
(Coleonyx mitratus)

Reptiles and amphibians have become mainstream in the pet industry. You might recognize this as a Leopard Gecko. You would be close. It is in the lizard family Eublepharidae, which basically translates as the “true eyelids” family. This is the Central American Banded Gecko (Coleonyx mitratus), and yes, they do indeed have eyelids and can blink. Other geckos in a different family of lizards lack eyelids and can actually clean their “windshields” (clear scales covering their eyes) with their tongues.

I found this gecko crossing the road on a rainy night in the Guanacaste Province in Costa Rica, in a habitat similar to the desert regions in the USA where our own banded geckos live. He was curious about my camera as the lens protruded into the light tent during the photoshoot. He gave his best smile and a “blink”.

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken May 30, 2022 in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, three SB-600 AF Speedlight flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight flash. Exposure 1/125 sec at f/29, ISO 640. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Trick or Treat

Halloween Snake

**(Oxyrhopus petolarius)**

What emotion does this image conjure for you? Maybe a bit of fear mixed with a sense of beauty? These snakes are called Halloween Snakes (Oxyrhopus petolarius), and perhaps the creepiness is apropos. But, is the fear/creepiness a consequence of their coloration, or just because they are snakes? If color doesn’t really affect an emotional response of fear, why red and black rather than some type of camouflage coloration? Perhaps the other common name for these snakes, “False Coral” answers that question. These snakes are relatively harmless, but they occur in areas where a similarly colored snake lives... the deadly venomous Many-banded Coral Snake (Micrurus multifasciatus)! This resemblance to a dangerous species by a harmless species is known as Batesian mimicry. Such a similarity allows them to benefit from the defense mechanism of the other species.

We found this snake while conducting amphibian research on the private reserve of the Costa Rica Amphibian Research Center. The message for my students: it is VERY dangerous to pick up a snake if you aren’t absolutely certain whether you will get a “trick” or a “treat”!

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken June 10, 2019 in Limón Province, Costa Rica using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, three Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight flash. Exposure 1/10025 sec at f/13, ISO 640. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Horny (not) Toad

Greater Short-horned Lizard
(Phrynosoma hernandesi)

Growing up in Idaho, my favorite lizards to find were horny toads. Their scientific name means “toad body”, but their scales and claws make it obvious they are lizards, “horny… but NOT toads!”

Their flat bodies fringed with spikes, their cute pug noses, and their heads adorned with horns makes one think of tiny dinosaurs. Their armor helps them defend themselves from predators, but also helps them blend in with their desert surroundings.

I visited a site suggested to me by fellow photographer Alan St. John, and found this beautiful female Greater Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi) at roughly 5,000 feet elevation. Even though she was found in a desert-shrub habitat, at this elevation periods of cool weather can make tough conditions for lizard eggs. This species however, has a work around for this challenge, the female retains the eggs in her body and little horny (not) toads are born in late summer instead of hatching from eggs.

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken June 11, 2020 in Oregon USA using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, three Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight flash. Exposure 1/100 sec at f/22, ISO 320. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Emerald Treasure

**Isthmian Treefrog (Isthmohyla sp)**

The beautiful emerald greens, browns and golds on this frog help it to blend into the cloud forest vegetation in which they live. This makes sense when these frogs are sleeping during the day, as it helps them go undetected by visual, diurnal predators such as birds. These frogs are active mostly at night, so how do camouflaged frogs find each other in the dark? Vocalizations are essential for long distance communication. The cricket-like calls can be heard by females ready to breed, and by other males jockeying for prime locations. They call from the stream's edge, as the tadpoles that hatch from clumps of eggs must fall into the stream below where they will grow and develop.

Their vocalizations also helped us locate individuals of these Isthmian Treefrogs (Isthmohyla sp). I was able to photograph this frog at our nearby wilderness camp. Based on genetic evidence, morphological differences, and the uniqueness of their calls, it might be an undescribed species… a true emerald treasure!

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken Oct. 12, 2021 in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, two Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight. Exposure 1/100 sec at f/29, ISO 500. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Paedomorph

Idaho Giant Salamander

**(Dicamptodon aterrimus)**

Most people have never seen this aquatic animal even though they are “giants.” This is the Idaho Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon aterrimus). They live in coniferous forests of central Idaho and usually occur in/near streams. Streams are important because that is where adults breed, and larvae grow and develop. Their bushy gills are rich with blood vessels to absorb oxygen. Many larvae will later lose their gills and grow eyelids as they transform into terrestrial adults. However, some individuals like the one in the photo, fail to metamorphose and instead become sexually mature adults in a “child” (larval) form… aka “paedomorph!”

My colleague Joel Sauder, an NNU alum and Idaho Fish and Game Non-game Biologist for the Clearwater Region, along with a small army of students studied these animals for years. Over the course of our many field seasons, we determined how to best locate them in streams (Cossel et al. 2012), and teased out details about their abundance, movements, habitat use and their diet. We even helped in the campaign efforts of then 8th grader, Ilah Hickman to make them Idaho’s official state amphibian. Maybe if you are lucky, you’ll see one of these elusive salamanders in the wilds of Idaho!

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken Oct. 16, 2022 in Idaho USA using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, three Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight flashes. Exposure 1/125 sec at f/22, ISO 320. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Whistler’s Father

Black-striped Flesh-bellied Frog

**(Craugastor melanostictus)**

Surely you’ve heard the saying “... looking for a needle in a haystack”. Well, this frog blends in with its mossy surroundings every bit as much as a needle in hay, but the frog moves and hides! Over the past 10+ years I have spent many months in the cloud forests of Costa Rica looking for this species of frog. I searched from one end of the country to the other. In some parts of their range, my students and I were successful, discovering these masters of camouflage often by hearing their whistle-like mating call. However, I knew that some of these frogs (in part of their range), made a very different call and are likely a different (undescribed?) species.

One night we hiked into the cloud forest yet again, carefully searching an area where a friend had seen a frog a few days earlier. No luck. We were about to stop for the night. As we were about to leave, I turned over a log and rummaged through the moss and leaf litter. I saw movement. I grabbed, and then peered into my hand… I had the frog! Ironically, the perfectly hidden “needle” gave himself away by moving. We are analyzing genetic data from this frog in an effort to see if he was a “Whistler’s Father” or whether he was instead the father of a completely different species!

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken June 8, 2018 in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, two Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight. Exposure 1/60 sec at f/16, ISO 200. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Brooding Mama

Red-footed Salamander
(Bolitoglossa pesrubra)

When thinking about salamanders, doting mothers isn’t usually what comes to mind. Nonetheless, there are species of salamanders like this Red-footed Salamander (Bolitoglossa pesrubra) that tend their eggs. This salamander, like others in its family, are lungless, breathing entirely through their skin/mucous membranes. We discovered this female on the highest peak in Costa Rica, Cerro Chirripo. She was found guarding her eggs in a clump of moss where both she and her eggs could stay moist. Unlike many species of amphibians that have tadpoles or larvae hatching from eggs, these eggs are direct developing, meaning they will hatch tiny, baby salamanders. In fact, if you look closely, you can see little hands and eyes peering out from their jelly coated egg. This is a great strategy that allows these small young salamanders to avoid predators that might be lurking in a pond. And, on land, they have their “brooding mama” to watch out for them!

Details:©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken Mar. 21, 2022 in San José Province, Costa Rica using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, two Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight. Exposure 1/125 sec at f/25, ISO 250. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Froggy-back

Golfodulcean Poison Frog

**(Phyllobates vittatus)**

Poison frogs like this Golfodulcean Poison Frog (Phyllobates vittatus) are known for their bright colors warning predators that they have toxic skin secretions. They are less well known for their parental behavior. Nonetheless, it is a common behavior to have adults transporting their tadpoles to suitable bodies of water where they can finish their development. Some species even feed their young unfertilized eggs. But, Golfodulcean Poison Frogs merely give their tadpoles a “froggy-back” ride to a small pool or puddle. As they sit in the water, their tadpoles wriggle off and begin their lives apart from their parents.

The frog and its tadpoles in the photograph are part of the live animal collection at Northwest Nazarene University. The animals live in the large tropical rainforest vivarium, and greet visitors and students alike. Although they are numerous in the NNU collection, they are critically endangered in the wild, only occurring in a small area of southeastern Costa Rica. If you are ever on NNU’s campus, stop by and check out the vivarium. And look close to see if you can spot any tadpoles getting a ride.

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken Aug. 22, 2016 in Idaho USA using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, three Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight flashes. Exposure 1/60 sec at f/29, ISO 125. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Prehensile

Veiled Chameleon

**(Chamaeleo calyptrus)**

Maybe it’s the fact that their eyeballs can each move in a separate direction? Or maybe, it’s that their toes are fused together (2 on one side, three on the other) to make little pincers? They can also shoot their tongue out of their mouth to glob onto prey. But, they are probably most well known for their ability to dramatically change their color. All of these features combined make chameleons unique. However, a detail that is easy to overlook is that their tail is prehensile! Nearly all chameleons live in vegetation and their special features are great adaptations to an arboreal lifestyle.

This particular chameleon, the Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptrus) is the most common species in the pet trade. Its name “calyptra” means a covering, hood or veil, and refers to the large “hood” or casque on their head. They grow to a fairly large size for a chameleon.

I saw my first wild chameleon while on safari in South Africa. I photographed this Veiled Chameleon’s prehensile tail in South Africa at the Kinyonga Reptile Centre, but its native range is the Arabian Peninsula.

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken Jan. 16, 2016 in South Africa at the Kinyonga Reptile Centre, using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, a Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight flash and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight. Exposure 1/250 sec at f/11, ISO 400. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Eyelashes

Eyelash Palm Pitviper

**(Bothriechis schlegelii)**

Eyelash Palm Pitvipers (Bothriechis schlegelii) are not only known for their “eyelashes” (scales that project out over their eyes), but also for coming in several color morphs. One morph referred to as the Christmas tree morph helps the vipers blend in with the vegetation where they patiently wait to ambush their prey. But, if camouflage is the purpose for their coloration, what about the bright yellow of the snake in the photograph? As it turns out, these snakes will sometimes coil up and wait for prey in the crowns of tropical palms, where some palms have bright yellow fruits. Camouflage after all!

So why the eyelashes? It is believed that the projecting scales function like the irregular flaps, spikes and scales of other amphibians and reptiles, to break up the outline or silhouette of their bodies. Much like a Ghillie suit having both colors and textures that blend in with the surroundings.

I photographed this Eyelash Palm Pitviper in the lowland tropical rainforest in the La Selva reserve, Heredia Province, Costa Rica. It was indeed waiting in a palm to ambush unsuspecting prey.

Details: ©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photo taken May 24, 2019 in Heredia Province, Costa Rica using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, a Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight flash and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight. Exposure 1/125 sec at f/13, ISO 640. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.

Egg Eater

Vicente’s Poison Frog
(Oophaga vicentei)

No doubt it is the bright coloration that makes these frogs stand out. It is a warning to potential predators that they are poisonous. Yet, it is more so their parental behavior that makes them special. All of the frogs in this composite photo are the same species, Vicente’s Poison Frog (Oophaga vicentei). Their scientific name translates as Vicente’s “egg eater”. No, these frogs don’t eat eggs. They eat bugs like nearly every other frog. However, their tadpoles grow up in little pools of water found in bromeliads and other plants. In these small spaces there isn’t enough for tadpoles to eat, so they rely on eggs from their mother to stay alive. Transporting tadpoles to nursery pools is a feature shared by a variety of Poison Frogs, but the frogs in this genus take parental care to another level!

I photographed these frogs at Natural Tanks in Panama City, Panamá. Owner Sam Sucre and colleagues are battling the smuggling of dart frogs and other amphibians out of Panamá, by captive breeding and legal export. In turn, they are able to use a portion of the proceeds to implement conservation efforts and to fund research, like investigating the natural history of Vicente’s Poison Frogs!

Details:©2023 John Cossel Jr. Photos (composite image) taken Oct. 14, 2023 in Panamá Province, Panamá using a Nikon D7100 with Nikon AF-F VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens, two Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight flashes and a single R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight. Exposure 1/100 sec at f/25, ISO 250. Minor adjustments made using Adobe LightRoom Classic and Photoshop CC 2023. Metal print (high gloss) by Bay Photo.