Bethany Ramus
With our fully functioning research station, scientists of all kinds are welcome to come and observe the abundant wildlife of the Aquicuana reserve. From studying butterflies to hatching tadpoles and anything in between, the rainforest offers a magical space to study nature. Researchers can catalogue their results for our database, enjoy conversations with fellow volunteers, and even offer a workshop for local kids to share a sense of wonder and responsibility for the nature that surrounds us here.
Max, a scientist from Germany, has begun a research project on the many species of frogs residing in the Aquicuana reserve. Although he works as a chemist back home, Max is a lifelong lover of amphibians, frogs in particular. When I asked him why he loves frogs the most, he smiled and said affectionately that they look like pretty dumb animals. This makes them lovable. Not only that, they are a great animal to keep as pets. The enclosures can be quite beautiful, and he takes pleasure in maintaining them. Since many species of frogs spend their whole lives living around a single tree, Max says they are a good option for a home pet.
Max is interested in learning which frogs live in this area and how heavy the traffic is. Are there more frogs in a wet area or a dry area? How many come through a space in a single day? Are certain times of the year busier than others? To answer these and other questions, Max has built two sets of pitfalls, one in a dry part of the jungle and one in a wet part.
The pitfalls consist of three ten gallon buckets with holes drilled in the bottom for ventilation. These are dug into the ground about two meters from one another. All are connected by a long sheet of green tarp held up vertically by short fence posts. The tarp is drawn across the midline of each of the buckets to function as a sort of trap. When the frogs bump into the tarp, they fall down into one of the buckets.
Every day, Max checks all the pitfalls, cataloguing and releasing any ensnared critters. Today we found five frogs, a few crickets, two spiders, and a crab. Max handles all the animals carefully, holding them up for photos and subsequent release into the wild. Photographing the frogs against a sheet of graph paper allows him a quick tool for measurement. After documenting and releasing them, we go back to the research station to explore the internet for species identification.
For two months, Max will check these pitfalls daily, creating a set of data on the frogs in this area. Already, Max has learned some fantastic facts. Today he taught me that frogs, with their sensitive skin, are excellent indicators of overall forest health. If coal mining or some other pollution process were happening nearby, the frogs would be one of the first animals to die off as a result. Everyday he finds multiple frogs, and takes this as a sign that the Aquicuana Reserve is healthy and thriving.
A common strain of bacteria that is damaging frog populations worldwide is Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, more commonly known as Bd. Max was anxious to study the frogs here and raise tadpoles in order to see if he could spot this bacteria. So far, no signs of this dangerous bacteria! Although he found a clutch of tadpoles, all of them were healthy. Carefully scooping up half the tadpole eggs, he brought them to the research station to watch them grow.
Complete with an air filtration device to keep the oxygen levels up and natural methods to keep the water clean, Max masterfully constructed an aquarium for the tadpoles. Max is dedicated to keeping the tadpoles healthy. Employing his wealth of knowledge earned from keeping amphibians as pets since he was a teenager, he is cultivating plants to balance their little ecosystem. He even hunts down insects to feed them, balancing this protein with plant material like pollen and oats. As the tadpoles get a bit bigger, he’ll catch fish to feed them.
When I asked about his plans for releasing the tadpoles turned frogs, he grinned and said, “They’ll release themselves!” Once they are big enough to jump, off they go. Healthy and bacteria free, they will be ready to continue life in our magical reserve. Max says they won’t have any problems adjusting back to life in the wild. If anything, he helped all the tadpoles he took live to maturity. From observing the clutch he took half of, Max knows that only ⅓ of those eggs hatched. The other ones got moldy and became food for other water creatures like snails or shrimp. The tadpoles he brought to our research station have all hatched and are swimming happily in their aquarium.
For any researchers interested, we’d love to continue this project. The more data we have on frogs over the course of a year, particularly comparing dry and wet season, the more we will know about the frogs in this area. You are welcome to come check the pitfalls, catalogue found frogs, and try raising a new round of tadpoles. While you’re at it, you can enjoy life in our beautiful Aquicuana Reserve with our diverse group of volunteers. Drop us an email today to learn more and arrange your stay.
