# Wild Hawaiian Auratus Captured, Photographed, Released



## oahupdffreak (May 31, 2005)

Aloha Everyone. Check out these pictures of Wild Hawaiian Auratus. All the frogs were weighed, measured and tagged with sophisticated tracking devices. Our first "frog helmet cam" is still in it's test phases, so we will get that to you later. :shock: I hope you know I was joking... Well all the frogs were captured, photographed and then we said goodbye. Have a look: 
http://www.dendroboard.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=575


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## oahupdffreak (May 31, 2005)

*Let's try that link again*

:arrow: http://www.dendroboard.com/coppermine/t ... ?album=575


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## Guest (Jul 10, 2005)

That was cool.

the patern of some of them is soo cool. There is one that really caught my attention and it was the one that looked reticulated.

Cheers

Xavier


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

Wow, those are fascinating! Have you posted more about your research and if so could you please give me the links? Also, does anyone know of a good site that tells the story of the Hawaiian release? Or of any good studies that have been published since?

Thanks,
Diane


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## oahupdffreak (May 31, 2005)

*Interest only*

We really aren't doing any research. We just like being eaten alive by mosquitoes, chaising frogs in the rain, getting down and dirty in the bush, etc. We just do it for fun. To see the different patterns. As far as the introduction of auratus to Hawai`i, my understanding is they were introduced in the 30s to combat mosquitoes. Check out Pumilio.com it has some good info on Hawaiian auratus. We'll try and get more pictures up later.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

No expert here but that photo of the "huge a$$ snail" looks like the pics I've seen of Giant African Land snails. I think they got loose in Hawaii before.

Very cool that you can find D. auratus "in the wild".  The diversity of the patterns is amazing...I like the first one and the reticulated one.


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

"We just like being eaten alive by mosquitoes, chaising frogs in the rain, getting down and dirty in the bush, etc. We just do it for fun. "

Sounds like fun to me! :wink: 

Thanks much for the reference. I'll look forward to more pictures.

--Diane


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## Ben_C (Jun 25, 2004)

c'est ma,
In 1932, 206 individuals from Taboga island (possibly Tabogilla island) were released into the upper manoa valley by an entemologist hired by the territory to do something about the non-native insect problem (mostly mosquitoes).
Was that what you were looking for?
~B


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## oahupdffreak (May 31, 2005)

*New Pictures!*

Just put up some new pictures, got a shot of some wild eggs too. Check 'em out if like.

http://www.dendroboard.com/coppermine/t ... ?album=589


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## Guest (Jul 29, 2005)

D'oh! I fully understand that you have to return the frogs to the wild, but do you reeeeaaally have to return the eggs? Seems like they'd never be missed... :twisted: Oh well... *sigh* 

PS. Those are some awesome photos, btw!


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

(Ben_C: thanks!)

Is anyone studying how these frogs are diverging from the American populations?

--Diane


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## oahupdffreak (May 31, 2005)

*Eggs*

When we saw the eggs, we thought about it, but we also saw two frogs, looked like mama and papa, in the same area, so we left em there  
As for studying the divergence of the American populations...considering we are the 50th state that would make these frogs American too :shock: Nah, just joking, I understand you meant the Americas. I don't know, let me ask Ben :arrow: Ben, Is anyone studying how these frogs are diverging from the American populations? lol Let's see if he responds. He's probably too busy out chasing frogs in the valleys of O`ahu or even a "park."  `easy


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Awesome pics .
I like the diversity in patterns, I especially like the reticulated auratus 

I also respect the catch and release.


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## Ben_C (Jun 25, 2004)

c'est ma,
I am not aware of anyone studying the divergence between the Hawaiian and Panamania populations, although certainly somebody could be doing it. I don't think, however, that it would provide a LOT of information, as they've been here ~70 years and I don't know if that is long enough to get any really strong genetic data...
hope this helps,
Ben


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## Jeffey_Kasparek (Jan 21, 2005)

I was wondering if there were any wild populations of Azureus on any of the islands. I read somewhere that azureus had been introduced for the same reasons as auratus. Could there be any truth to this, or was it simply a typo?


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## Guest (Jul 31, 2005)

I thought since they weren't a native species you were allowed to keep them (something like 4) and the same was true of some of the chameleons. Someone mentioned the limit of 4 per person was there b/c they didn't want to encourage large exporters to drop off "founding stock" and then come back to "harvest stuff." But they did want people taking them b/c they are invasive, then again it was all heresay.


-Tad


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## Ben_C (Jun 25, 2004)

The azureus thing must have been a typo as auratus are the only intentionally introduced dendrobatid for mosquito control (intentionally and approved by the gov't, I guess...as it's possible enthusiasts intentionally released some but we haven't seen any evidence of this so far...)
And yes, you can keep 4 per household with permit because they are an invasive species and I think the reason for the requirement of permit and all the pain in the @$$ paperwork is because they don't want them shipped anywhere (especially onto the other islands since they're afraid they'll consume 'native' insects).


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## oahupdffreak (May 31, 2005)

*Loch Ness*

The elusive Hawaiian azureus...or was it a tinctorius.....or maybe even a leuc??? There are all kinds of stories up on this board and the internet  There was a purposely introduced population of auratus in two valleys here on O`ahu, as Ben said, and I have read about an auratus being found on Maui and turned into the dept. of ag. Whether they are established there on Maui or someone just found an "escapee" is still unknown. I gotta take a trip to Maui one day. Eh Ben, road trip? Thanks to everyone who enjoyed the pictures!!! Hopefully we will get more up. `easy

Here Nessie, Nessie :wink:


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## Ben_C (Jun 25, 2004)

...rumors on this board, the internet, and of course--on the island! I've heard TONS of rumors from red frogs to blue. So far, we've found--NOTHING! But we can always be optimistic 
I guess only time will tell...it might be a good 'excuse' to go to Maui though   

~B


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## oahupdffreak (May 31, 2005)

*Tadpole Sites*

I haven't been able to upload picz to the gallery so I tried ImageShack, that other people have been using. Here are some new pix. The bamboo tad sites were at least a couple of feet high. How do they know there is water up there :?:


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## oahupdffreak (May 31, 2005)

*Papa & Tad*

Here's a Papa carrying a Tad that is about to be "recycled"


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2005)

Errr.. What do you mean by recylcled?


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## oahupdffreak (May 31, 2005)

*Recycle Bin*

We found them in a Recycle Bin. We've seen em in Recycle Bins, fallen leaves, bromeliads, bamboo, buckets, plastic bottles, pretty much anything that can hold water. Don't worry I didn't recycle them...the recycle people wouldn't give me my 5 cent return for 'em :shock:


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## Travelerphotography (Aug 12, 2013)

This is an old thread but I like the spirit of it. I just moved here to the Manoa Valley outside Honolulu, Hawaii. I grew up between Alaska and the Big Island so I'm not new to Hawaii but I am new to Oahu. I am a lifelong amateur herper so I am looking forward to searching for D. Auratus. I actually saw one near the university te other day, just hoping down the sidewalk after a rain. It jumped into a hole so I didn't get a photo or even more than a few seconds watching it.

I have had the pleasure of seeing this in Panama as well as many morphs of D. Pumilio. I was with a herpetologist studying sexual selection in D. Pumilio on Isla Bastamentos. It was fascinating. I hear the morphs here in Hawaii are distinct so I am looking forward to seeing those too.

I went frog hunting this morning but came up empty handed. I normally a pretty solid herper--if they are there I often find them. But I also know that you often have to learn how to look for a new critter in a new place. I would like to learn how to find them here from an expert, if there is one about. I went out at 8am and it was raining off and on pretty hard. I hiked from my house to the Manoa Falls trailhead and up to the falls. I searched the mid part of the trail pretty well and came up empty. I found numerous locations with rotting fruit on the ground and lots of fruit flies and orher tiny insects on the ground in the leaf litter. Still nothing. 

I am looking for wisdom, not on locations necessarily, but on finding technique. Morning? How early? Rain or after rain has stopped? Typically around certain types of plants/trees? Time of year active?

I am not a keeper for the most part, I just like to find and photograph herps. 

If anyone is here now (August 2013) and wants to go herping and show me a thing or two, I would be glad for the wisdom and company.

Traveler Terpening
907.299.1119


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## Trey (Sep 10, 2008)

I've seen them at a building near the falls actually utilizing the bromeliads planted there.


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