“Dedicated to the Conservation and Biological Research of Costa Rican Amphibians” A male Crowned Tree Frog (Anotheca spinosa) peering out from a tree hole. 2 Text by: Brian Kubicki Photography by: Brian Kubicki Version: 3.1 (October 12th, 2009) Mailing Address: Apdo. 81-7200, Siquirres, Provincia de Limón, Costa Rica Telephone: (506)-8889-0655, (506)-8841-5327 Web: www.cramphibian.com Email:
[email protected] Cover Photo: Mountain Glass Frog (Sachatamia ilex), Quebrada Monge, C.R.A.R.C. Reserve. 3 Costa Rica is internationally recognized as one of the most biologically diverse countries on the planet in total species numbers for many taxonomic groups of flora and fauna, one of those being amphibians. Costa Rica has 190 species of amphibians known from within its tiny 51,032 square kilometers territory. With 3.72 amphibian species per 1,000 sq. km. of national territory, Costa Rica is one of the richest countries in the world regarding amphibian diversity density. Amphibians are under constant threat by contamination, deforestation, climatic change, and disease. The majority of Costa Rica’s amphibians are surrounded by mystery in regards to their basic biology and roles in the ecology. Through intense research in the natural environment and in captivity many important aspects of their biology and conservation can become better known. The Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center (C.R.A.R.C.) was established in 2002, and is a privately owned and operated conservational and biological research center dedicated to studying, understanding, and conserving one of the most ecologically important animal groups of Neotropical humid forest ecosystems, that of the amphibians.