Strawberry poison-dart frog (Oophaga pumilio) calling, Braulio Carrillo region
The poison-dart frogs of Central America are so called because the indigenous inhabitants used to smear the heads of darts used in blowpipe hunting with the poison from them. They are the most poisonous animals on earth. One golden poison-dart frog contains enough batrachotoxin to kill ten humans. The poison paralyses the muscles, including the heart muscle. It is secreted by the skin, not injected by a bite. Bright colours then, serve as a warning.
I had problems photographing this creature: strawberry frogs grow only to a maximum size of 24mm long -- less than an inch. They were wary and did not allow close approach. Lenses of a standard focal length were therefore of no use. But using a telephoto was not ideal either, as the lens would not focus sufficiently close to permit a picture in which the animal filled the frame.
Strawberry poison-dart frog (Oophaga pumilio) calling, Braulio Carrillo region
The poison-dart frogs of Central America are so called because the indigenous inhabitants used to smear the heads of darts used in blowpipe hunting with the poison from them. They are the most poisonous animals on earth. One golden poison-dart frog contains enough batrachotoxin to kill ten humans. The poison paralyses the muscles, including the heart muscle. It is secreted by the skin, not injected by a bite. Bright colours then, serve as a warning.
I had problems photographing this creature: strawberry frogs grow only to a maximum size of 24mm long -- less than an inch. They were wary and did not allow close approach. Lenses of a standard focal length were therefore of no use. But using a telephoto was not ideal either, as the lens would not focus sufficiently close to permit a picture in which the animal filled the frame.