Monteverde Golden Frog
by Maria Urso
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Dimensions
9.000 x 12.000 inches
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Title
Monteverde Golden Frog
Artist
Maria Urso
Medium
Painting - Watercolor Painting
Description
The Monteverde golden toad is more glamorous and mysterious than it seems an amphibian could be. Its glamour is nature-made but its mysterious decline probably is due to humans.
Golden toads have never been widespread, but they used to be abundant in a handful of areas of cloud-shrouded tropical forest above the Costa Rican town of Monteverde. No one has seen a golden toad since 1989.
Very little is known about golden toad behavior. In the Monteverde forest, golden toads were conspicuous only during the breeding season. For a few weeks each April, the males gathered in groups of hundreds in small pools of water to wait for females.
Breeding activity lasted a week or two, then the toads would disappear for another year. The eggs were laid in seasonal water catchments, where the tadpoles would hatch and grow into adults in a very short time.
In 1987, the golden toad was closely studied by an American ecologist and herpetologist who, by chance, happened upon its breeding spectacle. She described it as brief and breathtaking; the males looked like little jewels on the forest floor. She was so fascinated that she applied for a grant to return and study the toads.
In 1988, no toads appeared when the seasonal rains started. During several months of searching the Monteverde forest, scientists found only ten Monteverde golden toads, and none were breeding. In 1989, only one lonely toad was found where once there were hundreds. Despite much searching, not a single golden toad has been seen since then.
The Monteverde golden toad is an amphibian, the group of animals that includes frogs, toads, and salamanders. Among the oldest creatures on earth, amphibians first appeared some 350 million years ago. They are characterized by a complex biology, which includes life both in the water and on land.
To read more on the Monteverde Golden Frog, see http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_gldtoad.htm
Artist reserves all rights. To purchase this original on 140lb professional watercolor paper, please contact artist directly at mpurso@bellsouth.net
Uploaded
November 10th, 2016
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