tree frog or tree frog (wood tree)- This is a frog that belongs to the type of chordates, the class of amphibians (amphibians), the tailless order, the tree frog family (Hylidae).

The family received its Latin name due to its unusual colorful appearance. The first researchers compared these unusual animals with beautiful tree nymphs, which was reflected in his verbal definition. Russian concept The “frog” appeared, apparently, due to the characteristic loud voice of an amphibian.

Tree frog (tree frog) - description, structure, characteristics

Due to the fact that the family of tree frogs includes great amount species, the appearance of these amphibians is very diverse. Some tree frogs are characterized by a flattened body structure with paws that look like knotted twigs, other tree frogs have an outward resemblance to small frogs, and in others, the body is flabby, as if slightly blurred. However feature, inherent in almost all species, is the presence on the fingertips of peculiar suction discs covered with a thin layer of mucus.

Due to the vacuum that forms under the surface of the disks as a result of the displacement of air from under them, the tailless tree frog easily moves not only along the trunks, branches and leaves of plants, but also along any smooth surface, including vertical ones.

Large trees in the process of moving along steep planes can help themselves with the moist skin of the abdomen or throat. However, there are species of tree frogs with an underdeveloped ability to suck. It is compensated by the special structure of the fingers on the hind and fore limbs, resembling a human hand with a thumb extended. Such frogs slowly climb trees, alternately grabbing branches.

The color of tree frogs depends on the species and can be very diverse. Most of them have a camouflage color in green or brownish tones with various stains, which helps the frog to easily hide among twigs and leaves.

However, there are species of tree frogs that have a bright color with contrasting stripes or spots.

The eyes of tree frogs are large and protrude slightly, thanks to which binocular coverage of the environment is achieved, allowing them to successfully hunt and jump from branch to branch.

Most amphibians are characterized by horizontal pupils, although there are species in which they are located vertically.

Sexual dimorphism in treeworts is manifested in the difference in the size of males and females, which are much larger than males, and sometimes in color.

In addition, the male tree frog has a special organ called a throat pouch, which, when inflated, makes sounds.

Where does the tree frog (tree frog) live?

The distribution range of tree frogs captures temperate zone Europe, including Poland, the Netherlands, Norway and Lithuania, Belarus and Romania, the central part of Russia and Moldova, as well as Ukraine. Numerous tree frog species live in North and South America, China and Korea, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan and Egypt, Turkey, Japan, Primorye and Australia. The habitat of these amphibians is humid tropical and subtropical forests, broad-leaved and mixed stands, as well as the coast of reservoirs or slow rivers, wetlands and overgrown ravines.

What do tree frogs (tree frogs) eat?

The food of tree frogs is varied: tree frogs feed on various, and, as well as and. Amphibians usually go hunting at night. They lie in wait for prey and trap it using their vision and long, sticky tongue.

Types of tree frogs (tree frogs) - photos and names

The numerous family of tree frogs is divided into 3 subfamilies, which include more than 900 species. The most famous and interesting of them:

Subfamily Hylinae:

  • Clicking tree frog ( Acris crepitans)

widespread along the coasts of shallow water bodies or slow-moving rivers, in flooded ditches and marshy areas of the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. The size of an adult male tree frog does not exceed 1.9 cm, and females - 3.8 cm. The skin of the back and sides, covered with warts, is gray-brown in color with yellowish-green hues and dark spots of an indefinite shape. The belly of the tree frog is decorated with bright green or brown stripes, and on the elongated muzzle, a dark spot in the form of a triangle located between the eyes is clearly visible. The hind limbs of the amphibian are relatively short with long fingers connected by a swimming membrane. The sounds of the male tree frog during the breeding season are reminiscent of the knocking of small stones against each other. These amphibians lead an active daily lifestyle. In case of danger, they can jump up to 0.9 m high.

  • Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus )

lives in the area North America near small reservoirs, wet ravines overgrown with dense grassy vegetation, as well as swampy streams and river sources. The skin of the tree frog, devoid of warts, is brown or gray-brown with dark, almost black spots, which are bordered by a light green rim. In females, a white spot on the neck is clearly visible. hallmark This type of tree frog is the ability to change color, adapting to the environment. The fingers of the long hind limbs of the frog are interconnected by a swimming membrane. The body length of adult females can reach 33 mm, and males - 29 mm. The lifespan of a cricket tree frog vivo rarely exceeds 1 year. Treeworts lead a solitary lifestyle, gathering in large clusters only during the breeding season. Due to the similarity of the frog's voice with the roulades of crickets, the name "cricket tree frog" appeared.

  • Piebald tree frog ( Dendropsophus leucophyllatus)

lives in the tropical rainforests of South America, which are part of ecological system the Amazon basin. These frogs can be found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Suriname, Peru, Guiana, as well as Ecuador and Bolivia. The size of the females of this species of frogs can be 5 cm, but the males have more modest dimensions. The head of a frog with large bulging eyes is slightly expanded compared to the elongated narrow body. Long fingers on the hind and fore limbs end in well-developed suckers. Coloring skin The back and sides of the piebald tree frog are quite variable and can range from greenish-brown to red with a brown tinge. On the main tone, patterns of white spots or stripes are clearly visible, creating characteristic mesh patterns. The belly of piebald tree frogs is painted in a bright red-orange color. Solitary individuals spend the bulk of their lives on trees, descending from them only during the breeding season. Pied tree frogs are most active during twilight and night hours.

  • Hyla arborea)

lives in the forests and forest-steppes of Poland, the Netherlands, Belarus, Norway, Lithuania and Ukraine, the USA, Korea, Turkey and Japan, the states of northwestern Africa, China and Primorye. The sizes of adult female frogs reach 53 mm, males are slightly smaller. The grassy green, brown, bluish or dark gray coloration of the back and sides of the tree frog can easily change in accordance with the basic color of the environment or due to the physiological state of the animal. Belly common tree frog painted in white or yellowish tones. The coloration of the back and abdomen is clearly separated by a dark stripe running along the sides of the body and head. Tree frogs spend ordinary daytime hours among the foliage of shrubs or trees, and at twilight and at night they hunt insects. Under natural conditions, these frogs live no more than 12 years.

  • Shepherd tree frog ( Hyla cinerea)

widely distributed in southern North America. Prefers tree or shrub thickets along the coast of natural and artificial reservoirs, as well as wet ravines or wetlands. The body of the frog is slender, with a triangular head. Its length in adult females can reach 60 mm. The eyes of a tree frog are medium in size, slightly protruding, golden brown in color, with vertical pupils. The smooth skin of the back is painted in grassy green color and separated from the beige belly by a thin white stripe. At the ends of the fingers of the hind and fore limbs of the frog there are suction cups, with the help of which the tree frog easily moves not only along the branches and leaves, but also on the surface of the earth. The amphibian leads a solitary lifestyle, gathering in large communities only during mating. Shows activity at night. The life expectancy of a frog in natural conditions can reach 6 years.

  • barking tree frog ( Hyla gratiosa)

is a typical inhabitant of the forest thickets of North America. The length of the baggy body of a frog can reach 7 cm in females and 5 cm in males. The yellowish belly contrasts with the back, which is colored in green, on which the pattern formed by dark green spots is clearly visible. Finger suckers are quite large. The tree frog got its name from the barking sounds that male frogs make during the mating season. Barking tree frogs spend most of their lives among the branches, high above the ground, however, there are individuals who prefer to live near water bodies. Amphibians are active at night, and during the day they sleep off, hiding in the hollow of a tree or on the ground under fallen bark. Barking tree frogs form short-term pairs only for the continuation of offspring. Under natural conditions, frogs live 7 years.

  • Hyla versicolor)

lives in mixed or deciduous forests of Mexico, Canada or the USA. Populations of these amphibians are noted near artificial or natural reservoirs and deep damp ravines. The sizes of frogs do not exceed 51 mm. The color of the wrinkled skin of the back can be either gray with a beige tint or green, and the belly can be white. On the back of the tree frog, a pattern in the form of an oblique cross of black stripes clearly appears, which borders barely noticeable spots of an indefinite shape. It is noteworthy that depending on the temperature environment, humidity and season, the color of the variable tree frog can vary greatly. The average life expectancy of changeable tree frogs does not exceed 6 years.

  • osteopilus septentrionalis )

it is the largest tree frog in the world. It lives in shrubs and woody thickets near water bodies. The distribution area includes the Bahamas and Cayman Islands, Cuba and the southern states of the United States. The average size of these frogs ranges from 11.5 to 12.5 cm, however, individual individuals can reach 15 cm in size, which makes them the largest tree frogs in the family. The color of the skin of the back, covered with tubercles, is slightly different in males and females. So, for females of tree frogs, beige or green tones are characteristic, and for males - brown. On the paws of the tree frog, transverse stripes of a lighter or darker color are visible. The suckers on the fingers are well developed. The Cuban tree frog hunts at night, sleeping during the day among the bushes.

Subfamily Australian tree frogs or litoria (Pelodryadinae):

  • coral-fingered litoria or Australian white tree frogLitoria caerulea )

lives in the subtropical forests of Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia. Sizes of adult females reach 130 mm, while males rarely exceed 70 mm. The head of the Australian tree frog is short and broad, with large, bulging eyes with a horizontal pupil. The skin of the frog is colored in various shades of green, but can be chestnut or turquoise, with white or golden spots. The belly is colored pinkish or White color. The inside of the tree frog's legs may be red-brown in color. In addition to suckers on the fingers, amphibians have small membranes. The Australian white tree frog is nocturnal. The life expectancy of coral-toed litorium in natural conditions can reach 20 years.

SubfamilyPhyllomedusinae:

  • Agalychnis callidryas)

lives on the upper tiers of low-lying and foothill wet rainforest Central and South America. The sizes of adult males rarely reach 5.4-5.6 cm, and females do not exceed 7.5 cm. The surface of the skin is smooth. The back of the frog is colored green, and the belly is cream or white. The sides and bases of the limbs are blue, with a distinct yellow pattern. The toes of tree-climbing limbs are bright orange and have suction pads. characteristic feature red-eyed tree frog are red eyes with a vertical pupil. Despite their bright coloration, these tree frogs are not poisonous. They are most active at night. The maximum lifespan of the red-eyed tree frog in natural conditions does not exceed 5 years.

The world's largest and smallest tree frog (tree frog)

The smallest "forest nymphs" are Litoria microbelos with a body length of up to 16 mm and the tree frog Hyla emrichi (Dendropsophus minutus), which has a body size of only about 17 mm. It is noteworthy that this baby is capable of jumping up to 0.75 m in length, which is almost 50 times the length of its body.

The largest tree frog in the world is the Cuban tree frog ( Osteopilus septentrionalis), growing up to 150 mm.

In addition to the above types of tree frogs, there are a huge number of varieties of tree frogs, the color of which is simply amazing:

Chaka phyllomedusa Phyllomedusa sauvagii

“Born to crawl - cannot fly” - this is clearly not about our hero of the note. Of course, real flight is possible only for birds, and all other animals (mammals, reptiles and amphibians) can only soar in the air, using all kinds of devices for this.

Here are some types of tree frogs that have acquired them. Thanks to the huge membranes on the hind and front legs, they can glide in the air for a distance of several tens of meters. The membrane area of ​​the Javan flying frog from the islands of Java and Sumatra can reach 19 square meters. cm.

But it's not the only frog that can fly. Many members of the copepod or copepod family are capable of this. We already wrote about one of them - this is Wallace's flying frog from the island of Borneo. In total, this family includes 231 species included in 10 genera. All of them live in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, in the Malay Archipelago, in Central and South Africa and also on the island of Madagascar. Almost everyone leads an arboreal lifestyle.

Photo by Jodi J. L. Rowley

Our heroine lives in mountainous areas the islands of Sumatra and Java, in connection with which, in fact, it got its name.
Outwardly, it is very similar to that famous flying frog from the island of Borneo, but still has its own distinctive features. Firstly, the presence of a leathery keel along the ridge, and secondly, in adults, the membranes on the hind and fore legs do not have dark stripes or spots.

Photo by Takeshi Ebinuma

The length of adults does not exceed 7.5 centimeters. Females are larger than males. The body is slender, the legs are long. The color is bright - the back is painted in rich green, and the abdomen is bright yellow or orange. In young individuals, the webs on the paws and axillary areas are covered with dark purple or blue spots, which disappear with age (sometimes there are barely noticeable spots between the 4th and 5th toes of the hind legs).

On the fingers there are special swellings that act as suction cups during landing on a vertical surface. An important role is also played by intercalary cartilage-shock absorbers between the last phalanxes of the fingers, which help to soften the landing.

Photo by Tim Laman

Their larvae also have slightly unusual structure. They have suction cups on the front half of the abdomen, just behind the mouth opening. The tadpoles themselves are very long and can almost reach the size of their parents. The length of the tail alone reaches 4.5 centimeters. Above and below it is covered with a wide leathery crest.

Java frogs can fall into a kind of hibernation.

Their breeding season lasts quite a long time - from January to August, but it reaches a special peak in spring months- in March-April. After mating, the female moves closer to coastal plants. The place for laying eggs is chosen directly above the water, so that immediately after hatching the tadpoles are in the water. But before that, alone, and sometimes together with a partner, with the help of her paws, she whips up a special foamy substance, where she lays her eggs. There are about 60-70 eggs in a clutch.

  • Class: Amphibia = Amphibians
  • Order: Anura Rafinesque, 1815 = Tailless amphibians (amphibians)
  • Family: Rhacophoridae Hoffman = Copepod frogs, copepods
  • Genus: Rhacophorus Kuhl et van Hasselt = Copepods, copepods [flying] frogs

Family Rhacophoridae = Copepod frogs, copepods

Represented by 236 species and 10 genera in Africa, Madagascar, Southeast Asia and Japan. Many taxonomists place copepod frogs in the family Ranidae (as a subfamily of Rhacophorinae). Two subfamilies are usually distinguished, Buergeriinae and Rhacophorinae.

Cope frogs adapt easily, they live in various ecosystems, including man-made ones, for example, in rice fields, plantations, and even in cities. Many species resemble tree frogs and live in trees, but there are also those living on the ground (Aglyptodactylus). Flying frogs from the genus Rhacophorus are especially well known. Body length from 1.5 to 12 cm. The pupil is horizontal. Fingers often have suction cups. Some members of the genus Rhacophorus have developed large membranes. Caviar is laid in water, on the ground, in foam nests fixed on plants, or in hollows in trees. In some species development is direct without a free larval stage; in others, parental care for offspring is observed. Fossil representatives are unknown.

Genus Rhacophorus

This genus belongs to the family of flying or copepod frogs and is represented by 57 species.

Rakophorus outwardly resemble tree frogs, lead a predominantly arboreal lifestyle and have suction cups on their fingers. In some species, the webs between the toes of the front and hind feet are greatly enlarged, which allows the frogs to glide a little, jumping from branch to branch. Some species also have membranes between the shoulder and forearm (R. malabaricus, picture on the left).

Despite its wide distribution in Southeast Asia, parts of China, India and Japan, only one species manages to breed for a long time in captivity.

The white-bearded copepod frog reaches a length of 6 cm and has a light or dark brown back with a dark pattern and a white or cream abdomen. These frogs are very similar to tree frogs, they have suction cups on their fingers and only relatively developed membranes.

The terrarium should be larger than it is long. For six frogs, it must have a size of at least 60x60x8x8 0 cm. The bottom can be completely covered with water. Reproduction requires a temperature of about 25 ° C, humidity of about 100% and daily rain. During spawning, the male grabs the female, and she builds a nest of foam and eggs on the parts of plants protruding from the water (the figure on the right is R. dulitensis, the female remains on the nest for some time after spawning and smoothes it with her hind legs until it hardens) . Nests containing 500-800 eggs can be removed from the terrarium and placed separately. Nests should be wetted until tadpoles appear after about 10 days. Tadpoles can be kept in baths (see below), metamorphosis occurs after 7-10 weeks. Young frogs can be fed fruit flies or small crickets.

Growing tadpoles in baths. Several small, 2-5 l aquariums are attached to the back wall of a large (minimum 150 l) aquarium. A filter is placed in each small aquarium, the water from which is pumped into the large aquarium. In a large aquarium, tadpoles are not settled and an activated carbon filter is placed in it. You can plant aquatic plants in a large aquarium to improve the quality of the water. If necessary, medicines can be added to a large aquarium, in this case, activated charcoal is replaced with cotton wool for the duration of treatment.

http://bufodo.apus.ru/terrarium/terrarium11.html

Frogs, oddly enough, are common inhabitants of not only swamps and rivers, but also city apartments. Moreover, lovers of not only popular toads, or clawed frogs (those very familiar white inhabitants of aquariums), but also rarer and more exotic ones, give birth. For example, tree frogs like tree frogs. Tree frogs, of course, are not rare - there are more than 500 species of them, but still more exotic, especially South American tree frogs. These beautiful frogs, with a languid look of an oriental beauty, are popular with lovers of amphibians, some of whom probably secretly dream of finding their princess frog.

The length of different types of tree frogs ranges from 2 to 15 centimeters. But even small tree frogs need a large terrarium - at least 100 liters in volume. Frogs, by the way, live well in a friendly company, so you can safely start a whole team without fear of fights and murders. It is virtually impossible to distinguish males from females until the frogs begin to sing. Only males sing and only at night. The singing of tree frogs, according to eyewitnesses, is melodious and quite pleasing to the ear. Moreover, each male has its own individual song, different from the songs of other brothers.

Some experts, however, determine the sex of tree frogs by the presence and absence of a "resonator" on the throat - that same leather bag that swells when singing. Another, more sophisticated method is also used - the caught frog is gently squeezed from the sides. The fact is that in nature, males sometimes get confused and, in a fit of passion, jump on frogs of their own sex. If a mistake occurs, the indignant male, whom they are trying to "love" will make a sharp cry warning of the mistake. But if the courtship hit the right place and the male hit the female, then she will remain silent with such harassment. Therefore, if a clenched frog yells, then it is a male, and if it keeps silent with a satisfied look, it is a female.

The habitat of tree frogs is quite large - they are found here from the Caucasus to Vladivostok, although there are only a few species, but South America can be considered the real kingdom of tree frogs - it is there that the most interesting and beautiful representatives of these frogs live. In general, tree frogs are distributed all over the world - they live in Asia, and in Australia, and on various oceanic islands (Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, etc.).

Colors of tree frogs are very different. The most common are bright green frogs, but there are also white frogs - some downright pearly, lemon, lilac, dark, spotted tree frogs. Some species are even capable of changing color depending on external circumstances. So, the white Australian tree frog, otherwise called coral-toed. Able to change color from bluish-green to dark brown.

Contain tree frogs in vertical terrariums. The tree frog terrarium should be lit for at least 10 hours a day (fluorescent lights are best) and have a "warm" and a "cold" angle. All wires must run along one wall of the terrarium, this will be the "warm" corner. And the opposite wall must always remain cool so that the tree frogs can cool there. If all the walls of the terrarium are heated from the wires, the tree frogs will die from overheating. Also, the terrarium must have fresh water - tree frogs, although tree frogs, sometimes like to take a bath. Also, in a terrarium with tree frogs, constantly high humidity should be maintained.

Tree frogs need a special substrate. Do not use sand - these amphibians have very delicate skin and they can injure it with grains of sand. Ordinary earth or even soil for flowers can be suitable as a substrate. There are also special ready-made soils that can be purchased at pet stores. Live moss is considered a good substrate for tree frogs (ordinary sphagnum growing in any park or fishing line near Moscow is quite suitable), but if moss is used as a substrate, then it should be changed very often, since moss tends to accumulate dirt and rubbish. But it is antibacterial and kills harmful bacteria. Dry moss cannot be used - it rots and tree frogs begin to suffocate in their own secretions.

Tree frogs eat only live food. As food, you can use flour worms, bloodworms, but the tree frog will not refuse more mobile prey - tree frogs very accurately use their tongue, sharply throwing it out and knocking down the insect in flight. Therefore, if you wish, you can diversify the frog menu with spiders, ants, flies, moths, cockroaches and other small insects and worms. You can feed tree frogs with tweezers - they quickly get used to this way of eating, or I spread the food on a saucer.

In a terrarium where tree frogs live, there must be shelter and live plants with wide leaves. As a shelter, any snag with a hollow or a bough that is hollow inside is suitable. Moreover, it is better if it is not a snag obtained in the forest, but an imitation bought at a pet store - they are better sanitized.

IN natural environment tree frog habitats hide in hollows and trunks of fallen trees, and some species sleep, clinging to the underside of the leaf on trees and bushes. For this, plants are needed - philodendrons, ficuses, monsters and other similar ones.

All tree frogs have signature suction cups on their fingers - a distinctive feature of poison dart frogs. By the way, if you walk your pets and take them in your hands, then the tree frogs and the master's finger will hug their delicate paws with soft suction cups - a real touching hug. True, some types of tree frogs secrete caustic mucus, while others cannot be picked up because of very delicate and easily vulnerable skin, therefore, when buying frogs, it is better to check with the seller all the details about the physiological characteristics of this species.

In general, tree frogs quickly get used to a person and they can be let out for a walk from the terrarium. Tree frogs sit on their hands, clasping their finger with their paws with suction cups, or on their shoulders, they can happily climb into their hair and look out from a height, surveying the surroundings.

Tree frogs, also known as tree frogs, are the most colorful members of the amphibian order, ranging in color from yellow and green to red and blue mixed with black. Such a bright range is not just a freak of nature, it is a signal for predators, warning of danger. By releasing a poisonous toxin that can paralyze, stun and kill even a large animal, tree frogs have firmly established themselves in the impenetrable tropical forests of Central and South America, where high humidity and a huge biodiversity of insects allow them to survive for more than 200 million years. Appearing on Earth at the same time as dinosaurs, frogs demonstrate an extraordinary adaptation to the environment - painted in all the colors of the rainbow, they are almost invisible among the lush vegetation and inedible for most representatives of the fauna.

- Amerindians, have long learned to benefit from poison dart frogs, using it as a deadly substance to lubricate the tips of their hunting darts. Having pierced the frog with a stick, the Indians first held it over the fire, and then collected the droplets of poison that appeared on the skin of the animal into a container, after which they dipped the arrows in a viscous liquid. This is where another name for poisonous tree frogs came from - dart frogs.

Unusual facts from the life of poisonous poison dart frogs

  • Among the 175 brightly colored tree frog species, only three pose a threat to humans, the rest imitate toxicity with their appearance although they are not poisonous.
  • The size of dangerous tree frogs reaches 2-5 cm, and females are larger than males.
  • Tree frogs climb trees thanks to rounded ends on their legs, resembling suction cups. Making circular movements with their limbs, they easily move along the sheer plane of the tree trunk.
  • Poison poison dart frogs prefer to live alone, carefully guarding the boundaries of their territory, and converge only during the mating season after reaching 2 years of age.
  • Tree frogs acquire their bright color with age, frogs always have a nondescript brown color.
  • The frog's body does not produce poison - it adsorbs the toxins of small insects. Poisonous secretions appear on the skin of an amphibian at the moment of danger and are due to a specific "diet", which includes ants, flies, and beetles. Captive-bred tree frogs far from their natural place habitats and deprived of their usual food, are absolutely harmless.
  • Dart frogs are both diurnal and nocturnal, climb the ground and trees, and use a long sticky tongue when hunting.
  • The life cycle of tree frogs is 5-7 years, in captivity - 10-15 years.


Yellow poison dart frog

Inhabiting the Andean foothills - in the coastal zones of southwestern Colombia, the most poisonous frog in the world - a terrible leaf climber ( Phyllobates terribilis ) , prefers growing on rocks 300-600 m above sea level. The leafy litter under the crowns of trees near the reservoir is a favorite place for the most dangerous vertebrate animal in the world - yellow-gold tree frogs, whose poison can kill 10 people at a time.

The distribution zone of the strawberry-colored tree frog (Andinobates geminisae), 1.5 cm in size, from the family of poisonous leaf climbers, first found in 2011, is the jungle of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. The red-orange palette of the body of an unusual amphibian is adjacent to the bright blue on the hind legs and black marks on the head. After the terrible golden leaf climber, the red tree frog ranks second in the world in terms of toxicity.

Okopipee blue poison frog

In 1968, the sky blue tree frog Dendrobatus azureus was first discovered by scientists in humid tropical areas. bright shade cobalt or azure sapphire with black and white splashes - this is the classic coloring of Okopipi. Own name poisonous tree frog received from local natives for a long time - unlike scientists, it has been familiar to the Amerindians for many centuries. The distribution area of ​​\u200b\u200ba unusual vertebrate is the relict rainforests surrounding the Sipaliwini savanna, stretching across southern regions Suriname and Brazil. According to scientists, the blue dart frog was, as it were, “mothballed” in this area during the last ice age when part of the jungle turned into a grassy plain. It is surprising that Okopipi cannot swim like all amphibians, and she gets the necessary moisture in the wet thickets of the rainforest.

The area of ​​distribution of the red-eyed tree frog - Agalychnis callidryas, is quite extensive: from Northern Colombia, through the entire central part of America, to the southern tip of Mexico. lives this species amphibians mainly in the lowlands of Costa Rica and Panama. The coloring of the “big-eyed” poison dart frog is the most intense in the family of tailless vertebrates - neon spots of blue and orange are scattered on a bright green background. But the eyes of this amphibian are especially noteworthy - scarlet, with a vertical narrow pupil, they help a harmless little frog scare away predators.

In the east of the continent, there is another species of red-eyed frog - Litoria chloris - the owner of a rich light green color with yellow patches. Both types of tree frogs are not poisonous despite their expressive “outfit” and piercing eyes.

Interesting to know! Many animals have showy coloration, a warning color evolved to ward off predators and indicate the toxicity of its owner. As a rule, this is a combination of contrasting colors: black and yellow, red and blue or others, a striped or teardrop-shaped pattern - even those predators that are naturally color blind can distinguish such colors. In addition to the catchy color scheme, miniature animals have large eyes that are incommensurable with the dimensions of the body, which in the dark creates the illusion of a large organism. This feature designed for survival is called aposematism.

Medical uses of tree frog venom

Research scientists on the pharmacological use of frog toxins began as early as 1974 - then at the US National Institutes of Health, experiments were first conducted with Dendrobatid (Dendrobatid) and Epidatidine (Epidatidine), the main components of tree frog venom. It turned out that in its analgesic properties, one substance is 200 times greater than morphine, and the other is 120 times greater than nicotine. In the mid-90s, a scientist at Abbott Labs. managed to create a synthetic version of epidatidin - ABT-594, which significantly reduces pain, but does not lull like opiates. The American Museum of Natural History team also analyzed 300 alkaloids found in tree frog venom and determined that some of them are effective for neuralgia and muscle dysfunction.

  • The most big frog in the world - goliath (Conraua goliath) from West Africa, its body length (excluding legs) is about 32-38 cm, weight - almost 3.5 kg. The giant amphibian lives in Cameroon and Guinea, on the sandy banks of the African rivers Sanaga and Benito.
  • The smallest frog in the world is a tree toad from Cuba, it grows 1.3 cm in length.
  • In total, there are about 6 thousand species of frogs in the world, but every year scientists find more and more new species.
  • A toad is the same frog, only its skin is dry, unlike frogs, and covered with warts, and its hind legs are shorter.
  • The frog sees perfectly at night and is sensitive to even the slightest movement, in addition, the location and shape of the eyes allows it to perfectly survey the area not only in front and on the sides of itself, but also partially behind.
  • Thanks to their long hind legs, frogs can jump up to 20 times their body length. The Costa Rican tree frog has webbed toes between its hind and fore feet, a peculiar aerodynamic device that helps it float in the air as it jumps from one branch to another.
  • Like all amphibians, frogs are cold-blooded - their body temperature changes in direct proportion to environmental parameters. When the air temperature drops to a critical level, they burrow underground and remain in suspended animation until spring. Even if 65% of the tree frog's body is frozen, it will survive by increasing the concentration of glucose in vital organs. Another example of survivability is demonstrated by the Australian desert frog - it can survive without water for about 7 years.


New types of frogs and toads found in the world

Recently in mountainous region A new species of golden tree frog was discovered in western Panama. Scientists were able to spot the amphibian in the dense foliage because of an unusual loud croak, unlike any previously studied. When zoologists caught the animal, a yellow coloring pigment began to appear on its paws. There was a fear that the secretions were poisonous, but after a series of tests, it turned out that the bright yellow mucus did not contain any toxins. A strange feature of the frog helped the scientific team come up with a scientific name for it - Diasporus citrinobapheus, which conveys the essence of its behavior in Latin. Another new species of poisonous frogs, Andinobates geminisae, was found by scientists in Panama (Doroso, Colon Province), in the upper reaches of the Rio Canyo River. According to experts, the neon-orange frog is on the verge of extinction, since its habitat is extremely small.

On the island of Sulawesi near the Philippine archipelago, scientific group discovered the existence a large number clawed frogs - 13 species, and 9 of them were hitherto unknown to science. Differences are observed in the body size of amphibians, the size and number of spurs on the hind legs. Due to the fact that this species is the only one on the island, nothing prevents it from breeding and multiplying, unlike its relatives in the Philippines, where spur frogs compete with another species - amphibians of the Platymantis family. The rapid growth in the number of island anurans clearly demonstrates the correctness of the concept of adaptive distribution of Charles Darwin, described on the example of finches from the Galapagos archipelago.

Biodiversity of frogs on Earth

  • Vietnam. About 150 species of amphibian animals are distributed here; in 2003, 8 new species of frogs were found on the territory of the country.
  • Venezuela. The exotic state is sometimes called the "lost world" - many mesas that are difficult for researchers to reach are distinguished by endemic flora and fauna. In 1995, a group of scientists undertook a helicopter expedition to the Sierra Yavi, Guanay and Yutaye mountains, where 3 species of frogs unknown to science were found.
  • Tanzania. A new species of tree frog, Leptopelis barbouri, has been discovered in the Ujungwa Mountains.
  • Papua New Guinea. Over the past decade, 50 unstudied species of anurans have been found here.
  • Northeastern regions of the USA. Habitat of a rare spider-like toad.
  • Madagascar. The island is home to 200 species of frogs, of which 99% are endemic - unique species that are not found anywhere else. The latest discovery of scientists - the narrow-mouthed toad, was discovered through a study of the soil and leafy cover of the jungle, during which it was possible to identify amphibian excrement.
  • Colombia. The most outstanding discovery of scientists in this region is a species of tree frog Colostethus atopoglossus, found only on the eastern slopes of the Andes, in El Boquerón.

Argentina, Bolivia, Guyana, Tanzania and many more countries with tropical climate and rugged landscapes are regions where scientists are constantly finding new subspecies of animals, including tailless amphibians - frogs. Owners of miniature sizes, arboreal representatives of the amphibian order are not only the smallest, but also the most dangerous animals in the world - modern zoologists are becoming more and more convinced of this.

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