This was my mom's first trip to the tropics, and poison dart frogs were among the creatures she was most hoping to see. On the caribbean side of Costa Rica, these crazy-bright red-and-blue jewels are quite common.

Like many of the dart frogs, these little guys are active during the day if the conditions are right. Our guide Jonathan Sequeira had told us that after lunch we might see Oophaga pumilio by the big tree in front of the restaurant, and as usual he was not wrong.

At this resort, nearly every room had a resident dart frog or two. They would hang around in the mornings and early evenings just outside the rooms, awaiting the admiring visitors.