• Order: Anura Rafinesque, 1815 = Tailless amphibians (amphibians)
  • Family: Hylidae Gray, 1825 = Tree frogs, tree frogs, arboreal trees
  • Genus: Agalychnis Cope, 1864 = Bright-eyed tree frogs

    • Species: Agalychnis callidryas = Red-eyed tree frog

    (Red-eyed tree frog, Beautiful tree nymph).

    The red-eyed tree frog was described in 1862 by Cope. And its Latin specific name comes from the Greek words - kallos (beautiful) and dryas (wood nymph).

    The red-eyed tree frog has a habitat in Central and South America. It is noted in countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize, Colombia, Panama.

    Their main habitats are low-lying and foothill tropical rain forests, usually located nearby or on the banks of water bodies. The red-eyed tree frog inhabits the upper and middle tiers of trees. Here tree frogs settle on the leaves of epiphytic plants and lianas.

    The red-eyed tree frog has a slender body covered with smooth skin. The main color of the body is green, and on the sides of the body and at the base of the paws is blue with a yellow pattern, the fingers are orange. The abdomen is white or cream. Color coloration varies within the range. Some individuals have small white spots on the back.

    It was noted that in Panama, young tree frogs can change their color: in the daytime they are green, and at night they turn crimson or red-brown. The eyes of young individuals are not red, but yellow.

    The toes are short, with suckers on thick pads. Therefore, the fingers of the red-eyed tree frog are adapted more for climbing than for swimming. The head is rounded with large red eyes and a vertical pupil. The eyes have a blinking membrane that protects the eye from foreign objects.

    In the red-eyed tree frog, the females are somewhat larger than the males: they reach 7.5 cm, while the males are 5.6 cm.

    The red-eyed tree frog is nocturnal. During the day, frogs sleep on the underside of green leaves, thus hiding from various predators.

    During rest, their eyes are closed with a translucent membrane that does not interfere with the frogs' vision. If a predator attacks a red-eyed tree frog, it sharply opens its eyes and their bright red color confuses the attacker. At the moment when the predator froze, the frog runs away.

    The main enemies of the red-eyed tree frog are snakes, in particular parrot snakes (Leptophis ahaetulla), as well as some tree lizards, birds, small mammals (including bats). Despite this, the average life expectancy is 3-5 years.

    Tadpoles are hunted by large arthropods (for example, water spiders), fish and turtles. The eggs of the red-eyed tree frog are eagerly eaten by cat-eyed snakes (Leptodeira septentrionalis), wasps (Polybia rejecta), monkeys, larvae of flies Hirtodrosophila batracida, etc. In addition, eggs are often affected by fungal infections (Filamentous ascomycete, etc.).

    The red-eyed tree frog, like its other fellow tribesmen, is a carnivore. The basis of its diet is various animals: from insects - various beetles, dipterans (all kinds of flies and mosquitoes), lepidoptera and arachnids, to small lizards and frogs, i.e. they eat whatever they can catch and whatever fits in their mouths.

    Red-eyed tree frogs can swim, they have parabolic vision and good sense of touch. When night falls, tree frogs wake up, yawn and stretch.

    Despite their bright, frightening coloration, red-eyed tree frogs are not poisonous, although their skin contains a large amount of active peptides (tachykinin, bradykinin, kaerulein and demorphin).

    With the arrival of the wet season, when the rains begin, the red-eyed tree frogs begin to reproduce. The peak of reproduction within the range is in May-November.

    Adult males have special resonator sacs that greatly amplify the sounds they make. Males, competing with each other, actively sing, trying to attract a female. On dry, rainless nights, males sing, climbing high on the plants closest to the reservoir, and during rain or when the reservoirs are filled to the brim with rainwater, red-eyed frogs descend to the ground or sit at the base of small bushes and trees and sing.

    When a female attracted by the singing of males approaches them, then several suitors can immediately jump on her. As soon as amplexus occurs, the female, with the male sitting on her back, descends into the water and remains there for about ten minutes in order to absorb water through the skin. After that, the female begins to lay eggs one at a time, placing them on the leaves hanging over the water. In total, the female lays up to 30-50 green eggs. Their diameter immediately after oviposition is about 3.7 mm, and before the larvae emerge it reaches 5.2 mm. Each egg is covered on the outside with a gelatinous, rather elastic shell, which plays a protective role, making them unattractive to many would-be predators.

    After completing the egg-laying process, the female returns to the water to restore the disturbed water balance of the body. In total, during the breeding season, the female can mate with several males and lay up to five clutches of eggs.

    The incubation of eggs continues, depending on the temperature, for 6-10 days. In some cases, when a predator (for example, an attack of a snake or a wasp) or flooding threatens the tadpoles that have already almost completed their development in the clutch, the tadpoles emerge from their eggs ahead of schedule - 4-5 days. Usually, tadpoles hatch in one clutch almost simultaneously, which allows the liquid released from the eggs to wash them off the leaf into the reservoir. Sometimes tadpoles fall to the ground. In this case, they can live without water for up to 20 hours. If it rains during this time, it can wash the tadpoles into a nearby body of water.

    The red-eyed tree frog larvae have external gills, while the hatched tadpoles breathe through the internal gills and skin.

    The dorsal side of the red-eyed tree frog tadpoles is olive-gray in color, and their length reaches 4.8 mm. Complete metamorphosis of tadpoles ends in 75-80 days.

    At present, the number of populations of the red-eyed tree frog is gradually decreasing due to the vigorous activity of humans, destroying their natural habitats.

    These arboreal amphibians live in Central America. Prefer tropical rainforests near river banks. They feel very good on trees, climbing higher from the ground.

    Appearance

    The length of the tree frog is 4 - 7 cm, the females are larger than the males. Perhaps these are the most beautiful amphibians. The bright color of the tree frog disguises it well in the abundant foliage among the riot of colors. In addition, at night, the camouflage changes to match the surrounding nature and is completely invisible. The top is painted bright green, the sides are blue, the belly is white. The legs are long, orange.

    There is a disc on each finger that secrete a sticky liquid. With such devices, she easily climbs and descends trees. Disks like suckers keep tree frogs even on the leaves upside down. She is also an excellent jumper, easily jumps from branch to branch or leaf, covering a distance of about 1 meter.

    The eyes are large, red with a vertical pupil. The blinking membrane protects the eyes from dust and provides hydration. The red-eyed tree frog moves well both in the firmament and in the water.

    Lifestyle. Nutrition

    Leads a nocturnal lifestyle, sees well in the dark. It descends to the ground to search for food. The red-eyed tree frog feeds on insects. It catches them not only with a sticky tongue, but can also grab with its front paws. This is a real hunter, very dexterous, rarely misses. During the day, she hides in the leaves, climbing to the tops of trees, and sleeps there. In drought it sits on the underside of the leaf. During this period, they are silent, but after the rains they actively and loudly croak.

    Reproduction

    The mating season begins during the rainy season, which lasts from June to November. Above the water males sit on branches and sing their inviting songs. Also, intonation warns rivals that the place is taken. A female can lay 1 - 3 clutches on tree leaves in one night. One clutch contains about 40 eggs, each surrounded by a mucous membrane.

    After 5 - 10 days, tadpoles appear, which fall into the water, where their further development takes place (21 - 60 days). Having assumed the form of an adult, young tree frogs leave the aquatic environment and climb trees.

    Today I wanted to tell you about the “cutest” ones!


    Yes, among amphibians, frogs are creatures that evoke the widest range of feelings.

    From obvious dislike (and even disgust), for example, to various fat nasty toads to obvious sympathy for cool (as it is now fashionable to say) red-eyed tree frogs.


    Probably, photographers adore this type of frog most of all.

    Still would! It is unlikely that there is at least one glossy magazine, one way or another telling about the animal world, which would not have posted notes about these "funny people".


    Well ... I'll tell you more about them, too.

    And most importantly, as always, numerous photos taken by the world's best photographers.


    Briefly about the features

    The red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) is a tailless amphibian from the tree frog family.

    The species was first described by Cope in 1862. The Latin name of the species is derived from the Greek words - kallos (beautiful) and dryas (wood nymph).


    Red-eyed tree frogs are small frogs with large bright red eyes with vertical pupils and a blinking membrane.

    The fingers are short, with thick pads, on which there are suction cups that help to move along the leaves.

    The red-eyed tree frog is widespread in Central and South America (Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize, Colombia, Panama). It mainly lives in tropical rainforests, near water.


    Inhabits the upper and middle layers of trees. During the day and throughout the dry season, they hide on the underside of wide leaves.

    The color of these amphibians varies within the range, the main one is green, on the sides and at the base of the paws is blue with a yellow pattern, the fingers are orange. The belly is white or cream.


    Some individuals have small white spots on the back. Young tree frogs (in Panama) can change their color: in the daytime they are green, and at night they turn crimson or reddish-brown.

    Young individuals have yellow eyes, not red ones.




    Size: females - 7.5 cm, males - 5.6 cm. Life expectancy: 3-5 years.

    The main enemies are reptiles: snakes (for example, parrot snakes Leptophis ahaetulla), lizards and turtles, birds, small mammals (including bats).


    Cat-eyed snakes (Leptodeira septentrionalis), wasps (Polybia rejecta), monkeys, larvae of flies Hirtodrosophila batracida, etc. hunt for eggs.

    The eggs are attacked by fungal infections such as Filamentous ascomycete. Tadpoles are hunted by large arthropods, fish and aquatic fleas.


    The red-eyed tree frog is a carnivore that eats various animals that are placed in the mouth - insects (beetles, flies, moths) and arachnids, lizards and frogs.



    The red-eyed tree frog is nocturnal. They have parabolic vision and good touch. During the day, frogs sleep on the underside of green leaves, hiding from predators.





    During rest, their eyes are closed with a translucent membrane, which does not interfere with the frogs' vision. If a predator attacks a red-eyed tree frog, it sharply opens its eyes and their bright red color confuses the attacker.


    At the moment when the predator froze, the frog runs away. When night falls, tree frogs wake up, yawn and stretch. Despite their bright, frightening color, red-eyed tree frogs are not poisonous, but their skin contains a large amount of active peptides (tachykinin, bradykinin, kaerulein and demorphin).


    Reproduction begins with the first rains at the beginning of the wet season. Mating occurs throughout the season, but most often in June and October.

    At this time, males make aggressive calls to distract other males and call to attract females. The dominant frequency of the sounds emitted ranges from 1.5-2.5 kHz.


    Vocalization begins at dusk and is especially intense during rain.

    When the female descends to the males, several males can jump on her at once. As soon as amplexus occurs, the female, with the male sitting on her back, descends into the water and remains there for about ten minutes in order to absorb water through the skin.


    After that, the female lays eggs on the leaves (one egg at a time, 30-50 pieces in total), which hang over the water. During the breeding season, the female can mate with several males and lay up to five clutches.

    The total number of red-eyed tree frogs in nature is decreasing due to the destruction of habitats.


    Benefits at a glance

    These cute frogs have many virtues.

    First, they are beautiful. A delicate green body with blue stripes, bright orange legs, a chicken-yellow belly and expressive red eyes make the red-eyed tree frog one of the most attractive amphibians in the world.


    Secondly, they are unpretentious. All they need to live happily are wetlands along the banks of rivers and streams in the rainforests of Central America and their favorite crickets, top of the list of food preferences for red-eyed tree frogs.


    However, business is not limited to crickets, and tree frogs diversify their menu with everything that they can swallow - worms, moths, flies and even small frogs.


    Thirdly, they are not poisonous, and the only way they can protect themselves is to use their bright colors as camouflage.

    Here, tree frogs have two options to choose from - to hide the bright parts of the body and remain motionless, or, conversely, move as quickly as possible, shimmering in front of the predator's eyes with all the colors of the rainbow, literally overshadowing his gaze with their beauty.


    In the first case, it is enough for them to climb a tree, bend the orange legs and close the blue stripes on the sides with their feet.

    In this position, only the upper, green, part of their body remains visible, which completely merges with the lush green foliage of tropical trees.


    Their small size (up to 6 centimeters in males and up to 8 centimeters in females) makes them almost invisible to snakes, spiders, bats and birds.

    Red-eyed tree frogs can live both near water bodies and in trees, but they prefer to lead an arboreal lifestyle, very rarely going down to the ground.


    The long legs of these frogs are better adapted for climbing trees than for swimming, and suckers on each toe help to easily move along vertical surfaces, including wet leaves and tree trunks.

    For their ability to make long jumps, red-eyed tree frogs are called "frogs-monkeys".


    The red eyes of these nocturnal amphibians have vertical pupils and a blinking membrane that moisturizes them and protects them from dust. Like the body of a tree frog, these membranes are painted in a bright color, but this does not prevent the frogs from seeing well in the dark.


    Depending on the mood or environment, red-eyed tree frogs are able to slightly modify the intensity of their color.

    The mating season for red-eyed tree frogs begins in the midst of the rainy season. Sitting on a branch, the male begins to shake it vigorously, making inviting sounds.


    With this behavior, he pursues two goals at once - to scare away rivals and attract the attention of a partner.

    When the fertilization process begins, the female will carry the male on her back for several hours, then pick up a comfortable branch with dense foliage hanging over the water and lay eggs.


    After a few days, tadpoles will develop from the eggs and fall into the water, where they will spend from three weeks to several months until they turn into adult tree frogs and get back to a safe height.

    The red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) is a tailless amphibian from the tree frog family. The species was first described by Cope in 1862. The Latin name of the species is derived from the Greek words - kallos (beautiful) and dryas (wood nymph).

    The red-eyed tree frog is a small animal with large bright red eyes with vertical pupils and a blinking membrane. The fingers are short, with thick pads, on which there are suction cups that help to move along the leaves.

    The red-eyed tree frog is widespread in Central and South America (Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize, Colombia, Panama). It mainly lives in tropical rainforests, near water. Inhabits the upper and middle layers of trees. During the day and throughout the dry season, they hide on the underside of wide leaves.

    The color of these amphibians varies within the range, the main one is green, on the sides and at the base of the paws is blue with a yellow pattern, the fingers are orange. The belly is white or cream. Some individuals have small white spots on the back. Young tree frogs (in Panama) can change their color: in the daytime they are green, and at night they turn crimson or reddish-brown. Young individuals have yellow eyes, not red ones.

    Size: females - 7.5 cm, males - 5.6 cm. Life expectancy: 3-5 years.

    The main enemies are reptiles: snakes (for example, parrot snakes Leptophis ahaetulla), lizards and turtles, birds, small mammals (including bats). Cat-eyed snakes (Leptodeira septentrionalis), wasps (Polybia rejecta), monkeys, larvae of Hirtodrosophila batracida flies, etc. hunt for eggs. Fungal infections such as Filamentous ascomycete attack eggs. Tadpoles are hunted by large arthropods, fish and aquatic fleas.

    The red-eyed tree frog is a carnivore that eats various animals that are placed in the mouth - insects (beetles, flies, moths) and arachnids, lizards and frogs.

    The red-eyed tree frog is nocturnal. They have parabolic vision and good touch. During the day, frogs sleep on the underside of green leaves, hiding from predators. During rest, their eyes are closed with a translucent membrane that does not interfere with the frogs' vision. If a predator attacks a red-eyed tree frog, it sharply opens its eyes and their bright red color confuses the attacker. At the moment when the predator froze, the frog runs away. When night falls, tree frogs wake up, yawn and stretch. Despite their bright, frightening color, red-eyed tree frogs are not poisonous, but their skin contains a large amount of active peptides (tachykinin, bradykinin, kaerulein and demorphin).

    Reproduction begins with the first rains at the beginning of the wet season. Mating occurs throughout the season, but is most common in June and October, when males emit aggressive calls to distance other males and calls to attract females. The dominant frequency of the sounds emitted ranges from 1.5-2.5 kHz. Vocalization begins at dusk and is especially intense during rain.

    When the female descends to the males, several males can jump on her at once. As soon as amplexus occurs, the female, with the male sitting on her back, descends into the water and remains there for about ten minutes in order to absorb water through the skin. After that, the female lays eggs on the leaves (one egg at a time, 30-50 pieces in total), which hang over the water. During the breeding season, the female can mate with several males and lay up to five clutches.

    The total number of red-eyed tree frogs in nature is decreasing due to the destruction of habitats.

    Scientific classification:
    Kingdom: Animals
    Type of: Chordates
    Class: Amphibians
    Detachment: Tailless
    Family: Tree frogs
    Genus: Bright-eyed tree frogs
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