Location and Name
These brightly colored frogs are mostly located near the equator in Central America, South America and also some parts of southern Mexico in states like Oaxaca or Veracruz. Their scientific name, Agalychnis callidryas, can be translated as 'the beautiful tree nymph' where calli is from the Greek word kallos, meaning beautiful, and dryas, meaning tree nymph.
Classification and Description
Young red-eyed tree frog.
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Amphibia
- Order: Anura
- Family: Hylidae
- Genus: Agalychnis
- Species: A. callidryas
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs can be distinguished by their bright colors and their trademark red eyes. Their backside is a lime or bright green that can be used to scare off predators, and their inner thighs and sides are a blue or purplish color, with their bellies being a creamy white. They have long legs, arms, and suction pads on their orange or yellow feet which are used for climbing. They are considered arboreal because they spend a lot of their time scaling or being in trees and their leaves. The bright colored tree frogs are the adults while young tree frogs are mostly brown. Males are usually two and a half centimeters smaller than the females, who are no more than eight centimeters long (overall size 2-4 inches). The Red-Eyed tree frog is a nocturnal amphibian, sleeping under leaves until night when it hunts for its prey.
Diet and Predators
Red-Eyed tree frogs are carnivorous, eating insects like moths, flies, and on occasion, smaller frogs. They use their long, sticky tongues to catch their prey. Younger frogs mostly eat smaller insects like fruit flies. Their predators are mostly small alligators, bats, tarantulas and other spiders, birds like owls, and snakes. Their defense mechanism is their bright camouflage which is used to scare off their predator or to confuse it, leaving a 'ghost image' of its color as it quickly hops away to safety.
Adaptations
The Red-Eyed tree frog gets its red eye color from its third eye lid called the nictitating membrane. All amphibians in the Hylidae family have this third eye lid. The third eye lid acts as eye protection and also wards off predators with its bright color, making them think twice before eating the frog, and giving it the chance to escape in that moment of hesitation. It also helps them see at night because of the red color. Red-Eyed Tree frogs can also change their colors depending on its surroundings or mood. It keeps its limbs close to its body to hide its bright markings during the day and to keep its hydration. They also have their nostrils and eyes high on their head in order for them to see and breathe when their body is submerged in water while swimming. They use their long powerful legs to swim and jump, and many can jump multiple times their height.
Reproduction
These frogs live near a freshwater source in order to lay eggs and breed. Mating can occur around 3 years of age and their mating season lasts from October through March, a time where it rains the most in the tropical rain forests. The males start by croaking and trying to attract females. When challenged by other males, they fight or wrestle each other to get the chance to latch onto the female's back/hind legs in order fertilize her eggs. The female must then latch under a leaf above a body of water and lay her eggs. This process is called amplexus. The male must stay latched on to her or face the risk of losing his spot to another frog, especially when the female drops into the water whenever she's dehydrated. It's important for the female to be hydrated because each egg needs water in it for the tadpole to be able to swim. The body of water is a battle ground and it's common that the female will climb back up with another male frog. The other male frogs will attack the one that is latched onto the female so they can fertilize her eggs instead. As the female lays her eggs, the male fertilizes them by external fertilization, one at a time. Once the eggs hatch, the tadpoles drop into the water with the help of fluid that was in the egg. Some predators may eat the tadpoles but if they survive some grow up and live to be 5 years old which is the average life span of Red-Eyed Tree Frogs in the wild.
Other Facts
- Another name for this frog is the red-eyed leaf frog.
- Red-eyed tree frogs are now the poster child for saving its natural habitat, the rain forest.
- They live 5 years in the wild due to a high mortality rate and 10 years in captivity.
- It is sometimes nicknamed the "monkey frog" for its ability to jump.
- Their eyes can see in most directions, they have excellent depth perception and can see from far away. In short, these frogs have excellent vision.
- Red-eyed tree frogs mostly live in solitude, except for when they mate.
- They breathe and drink from their skin since its semi-permeable or thin enough for air and water to go to their necessary organs through their moist skin.
Works Cited
Hughes, Catherine D. "Red-Eyed Tree Frogs." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 03 May 2013. <http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/red-eyed-tree-frogs/>.
"Interesting Red Eyed Tree Frog Facts." Red Eyed Tree Frog- Caring for Red Eyed Tree Frogs. Reptiles Web, n.d. Web. 04 May 2013. <http://www.redeyedtreefrog.org/interesting-red-eyed-tree-frog-facts/>.
Selbie, Olivia, and Alyssa Shand-Perreault. Red Eyed Tree Frog: An Investigation. Red Eyed Tree Frog. Ashbury College School, n.d. Web. 03 May 2013. <http://tolweb.org/treehouses/?treehouse_id=4841>.
"Interesting Red Eyed Tree Frog Facts." Red Eyed Tree Frog- Caring for Red Eyed Tree Frogs. Reptiles Web, n.d. Web. 04 May 2013. <http://www.redeyedtreefrog.org/interesting-red-eyed-tree-frog-facts/>.
Selbie, Olivia, and Alyssa Shand-Perreault. Red Eyed Tree Frog: An Investigation. Red Eyed Tree Frog. Ashbury College School, n.d. Web. 03 May 2013. <http://tolweb.org/treehouses/?treehouse_id=4841>.