Explorers Discover Huge Cave and New Poison Frogs

Live Science ^ | Wed Feb 22, 12:00 PM ET | Bjorn Carey

[GreenFreeper]

Bjorn Carey LiveScience Staff Writer LiveScience.com Wed Feb 22, 12:00 PM ET

A cave so huge helicopters can fly into it has just been discovered deep in the hills of a South American jungle paradise. ADVERTISEMENT

Actually, "Cueva del Fantasma"—Spanish for "Cave of the Ghost"—is so vast that two helicopters can comfortably fly into it and land next to a towering waterfall.

It was found in the slopes of Aprada tepui in southern Venezuela, one of the most inaccessible and unexplored regions of the world. The area, known as the Venezuelan Guayana, is one of the most biologically rich, geologically ancient and unspoiled parts of the world.

This is the first geographic report and photographic evidence of such an immense cave. However, researchers say, it isn’t really a cave, but a huge, collapsed, steep gorge.

As a bonus, researchers also discovered a new dendrobatid frog species, Colostethus breweri, named for the frog’s identifier, Charles Brewer-Carías. Dendrobatid frogs make up the group of amphibians commonly known as "poison dart" frogs.

This is the second report recently to describe a newfound paradise of sorts containing previously unknown animal species.

Scientists distinguished C. breweri from its close relatives by its particular skin pattern, absence of fringes on fingers, moderate toe webbing, tongue characteristics, and yellow and orange coloration on its undersides. It is described as a fast-moving frog that lives along creeks and in quiet pools along small streams along the slopes near the cave.

This is the eighteenth described species of Colostethus discovered in Venezuelan Guayana.

This discovery, not widely reported, was detailed in the Jan. 17 issue of the journal Zootaxa.

[GreenFreeper]

Female specimen of the newly identified Colostethus breweri. Credit: Charles Brewer-Carias, reproduced from Zootaxa with permission of Magnolia Press

View from inside Cueva del Fantasma, Aprada tepui, Venezuela. Note the size of the two helicopters at the entrance. This is the first geographic report and photograph of such a huge cave. Credit: Charles Brewer-Carias, reproduced from Zootaxa with permission of Magnolia Press

[GreenFreeper]

ECO-PING

FReepmail me to be added or removed to the ECO-PING list!

Sorry to post and run...

[MadeInAmerica]

Hmmm, that opening looks familiar....but I just can't place it.

[1rudeboy]

Cueva del Fantasa? [sic]

[DannyTN]

Wow, those are real helicopters? That cave is gigantic. And the poison frog is even bigger!

[Marine_Uncle]

How about someone going into these caves with rubber gloves, and scarfing up a few dozens of these little guys then slipping them to one of our military folks that would be in the Saddam trial room. The next time either Saddam or his half ass brother start shooting their big mouths off, the military guy can toss these little guys into the docket cage.
We will find out how effective their poison is and at the same time do all mankind a favor.

[mikeus_maximus]

The area, known as the Venezuelan Guayana, is one of the most biologically rich, geologically ancient and unspoiled parts of the world.

yeah...yeah...yeah...whatever. But did they find any gold? or is there something we can exploit? :)

[Clint N. Suhks]

[AFreeBird]

That's not the Airwolf cave is it?

[LegendHasIt]

COOL!

[wolfcreek]

They should try and protect this area before it becomes an amusement park for rich tourist. I'm too late, aren't I?

[Loud Mime]

What a cool article!

That little frog reminds me of the ones we had in Panama. Little things were gold and poisonous (so we were told) and had this "Gooo" sound at night.

[joesnuffy]

Toy helicopters?

[blam]

Amazing.

I hope they find some ancient human remains in there.

[GreenHornet]

This discovery, not widely reported, was detailed in the Jan. 17 issue of the journal Zootaxa.

Darn!....I just canceled my subscription to Zootaxa in December!

[Centurion2000]

That's gorgeous. I'm surpised someone isn't already living in there.

[MaDeuce]

Why that could be the cave where Godzilla lives!!
These fools may have mistakenly awaken the beast! Which will rampage downtown Caracas and threaten Hugo Cha... well maybe not a total loss.

[Names Ash Housewares]

Picture looks like something out of an Edgar Rice Borroughs novel.

A lost world.

This planet never fails to astound!

[Chinito]

"That's not the Airwolf cave is it?

They found our cave???

[RetSignman]

You and Ray Romano's dad? lol

[Slicksadick]

I think it would look even more familiar from the outside looking in.

[sit-rep]

lol...

[LibWhacker]

Wow, amazing something that huge hasn't been discovered before. Anyone got the coordinates? Wanna check it out on Google Earth.

[RightWingAtheist]

Coincidentally, Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World was also located atop a Venezualen tepui.

[Chanticleer]

Interesting frog... but unbelievable cave-like thingy. What a beautiful country.

[Quick Shot]

Yes, looks like paradise to me

[skinkinthegrass]

...are those real helicopters? That cave is gigantic. And the poison frog is even bigger!

Agree...Heap big Cave narrow gorge. (up-lifted / rain-carved ?)
Quick...Hide from the frog...rem. the movie, "FROGS / Ssssss", very forgettable sci-fi...but, the french, would love those Frog 's Legs.

Thx..gf

[skinkinthegrass]

..was also located atop a Venezualen tepui.

Thx...Thats' what, I was lookin' for.
like Angle's Falls

[dd5339]

Ping!

[poindexter]

An interesting thing about the Dendrobitid frogs....the poison in their skin comes from the bugs they eat. Frogs raised on non-poisonous bugs aren't poisonous themselves.

[TASMANIANRED]

Lost world?

Can dinosaurs be far behind.

[Randy Larsen]

I'm in the wrong business! I should be looking for pretty frogs...

[GreenFreeper]

trust me, its not a very lucrative career!