Well now, howdy folks, Howe Weird here, comin’ at ya from our little corner of East Tennessee. Hope this fine day finds you well, perhaps sippin’ on some sweet tea and ponderin’ life’s little mysteries. Today, I’ve got a story that just goes to show you, sometimes the most exciting things aren’t found on an exotic trip, but right there in your kitchen. Or, more specifically, in a box of bananas.
Down in Wallington, Greater London, a gentleman by the name of Jeremy Gray was just mindin’ his own business, makin’ a trip to the local supermarket for some groceries. Now, I imagine Mr. Gray picked out his bananas just like anyone else would – maybe gave ’em a little squeeze, checked for any brown spots, all the usual. He took ’em home, probably set ’em on the counter, and later on, went to open up the box.
Now, most times when you open a banana box, you expect, well, bananas. Maybe a little bit of packing paper, or a sticker. What Mr. Gray found, however, was a tiny, brightly colored tree frog! He said his first thought was that it was one of those little plastic toys, you know the kind that sometimes sneak into children’s cereal boxes? But then, the little critter moved. That’s when Mr. Gray knew he had a real-life, honest-to-goodness, unexpected guest on his hands.
Being a sensible sort, Jeremy didn’t panic. He carefully scooped up the frog and put it in a container. He knew this wasn’t your average garden toad, so he did the right thing and called the RSPCA, which is their animal welfare organization over in the UK. They came out, collected the little amphibian, and took it to a specialist facility for a proper look-over.
And here’s where the story gets really interesting. Those experts at the RSPCA identified our little banana-box traveler as a splendent poison frog. Now, that name alone tells you it’s not something you want to handle lightly! This particular species, *Oophaga speciosa*, is critically endangered and, get this, only found in a small region of western Panama and Costa Rica. The bananas themselves might have started in Colombia, so there’s a little mystery there about the frog’s exact origin or if it was a similar species, but either way, this little fella had certainly seen some sights on its unintended journey!
The RSPCA folks said the frog was a bit dehydrated, which makes sense after a long trip in a banana box, but otherwise, it was unharmed. Just imagine, this tiny, venomous creature, one of the last of its kind, traveled thousands of miles across the ocean, tucked away safe and sound. It just goes to show you the wild things that can happen in our global marketplace. It also highlights why it’s against the law to keep such an endangered and venomous species without the proper permits – you certainly wouldn’t want to find one of these little guys uninvited in your home!
This whole affair reminded me of how we used to pore over old nature guides, or perhaps use some magnifying gear like they used to sell at Radio Shack (paid link) to identify peculiar finds in the garden. Who knew you might need such skills just opening a grocery delivery!
This story originally appeared on IFLScience.com.
Check out Frog on Amazon: Frog (paid link)