There's an endemic species of toad in Monteverde called the Golden Toad, and it's supposedly extinct since it hasn't been seen for over 25 years. Still, every year, herpetologists go out into the reserve to search for it and inventory the other frog species in the forest. This year, I got to participate in the endeavor too, along with one other student from the program. The night hike was from 4pm to 10pm, and it was pretty cool. It could have been better if I wore rubber boots, since we trekked around in the swamp, but it wasn't too bad getting all muddy. The real kicker was getting rained on as a downpour started an hour into the search. We had to wait out the rain in a little cover set up in the forest, which was just a tarp stretched out over a branch, but it did a good job of keeping us dry. When the rain finally cleared, we continued our search and found tons of frogs! We saw even more on our way back along the trail than in the swamp off trail. We of course heard even more frogs than we saw, and it was entertaining hearing the staff imitate the calls as they consulted with each other to identify the species.
Nate (the other UCEAP student) and I went with Nestor and Jovio, and we later met up with the other two searchers. Flashlights are held up because they didn't know the potency of my camera's flash, hehe. I'd like to point out how muddy my shoes are: my feet sank in pretty deep at times. If and ever there is a next time, I will definitely remember to wear rubber boots. The hot shower after it all felt amazing, and it made me truly appreciate the feeling of being clean. Despite my weak flashlight and the mud, night hikes are still one of my favorite activities since I love looking for frogs! It's a great feeling when you successfully spot one, and it's always awesome to have photo opportunities. Hope you enjoyed the fruits of my efforts!
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