Bright green frog with yellow legs. The most dangerous animals in the world: poisonous tree frogs

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 a derivative of the Greek words kallos (beautiful) and dryas (tree nymph).

The red-eyed tree frog is a small animal with large bright red eyes with vertical pupils and a nictitating membrane. The fingers are short, with thick pads, which have suckers that help them 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). Mainly lives in tropical wet forests, next to the water. Inhabits the upper and middle layers of trees. During the day and during the dry season they hide on the underside of the wide leaves.

The color of these amphibians varies within their range, the main color is green, on the sides and base of the paws there is blue with a yellow pattern, and the toes 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: during the day they are green, and at night they turn purple or red-brown. Juveniles have yellow eyes rather than red.

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

The main enemies are reptiles: snakes (for example, Leptophis ahaetulla parrot snakes), lizards and turtles, birds, small mammals(incl. bats). The eggs are hunted by cat-eyed snakes (Leptodeira septentrionalis), wasps (Polybia rejecta), monkeys, fly larvae Hirtodrosophila batracida, etc. The eggs are affected by fungal infections, for example Filamentous ascomycete. Tadpoles are preyed on by large arthropods, fish and water fleas.

The red-eyed tree frog is a carnivore, eating various animals that fit into its mouth - insects (beetles, flies, moths) and arachnids, lizards and frogs.

Red-eyed tree frog leads night look life. They have parabolic vision and a good sense of touch. During the day, frogs sleep on the undersides of green leaves, hiding from predators. During rest, their eyes are covered with a translucent membrane, which does not interfere with the frogs' vision. If a red-eyed tree frog is attacked by a predator, it sharply opens its eyes and their bright red color confuses the attacker. The moment the predator freezes, 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 large number active peptides (tachykinin, bradykinin, caerulein and demorphin).

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

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

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

Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordates
Class: Amphibians
Squad: Tailless
Family: Tree frogs
Genus: Bright-eyed tree frogs
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The red-eyed tree frog is native to South and Central America: Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama and Colombia.

The species was described by Cope in 1862. The Latin name for the red-eyed tree frog translates to “beautiful tree nymph.”

Description of the red-eyed tree frog

Females are larger than males: the body length of females reaches 7.5 centimeters, and males - no more than 5.6 centimeters.

The red-eyed tree frog has a slender build. The body is covered with smooth skin. The main color of the body is green; on the sides of the body and on the base of the paws there is a blue color with a yellow pattern. The belly is cream or white, and the toes are orange. The coloration of red-eyed tree frogs can vary within their range. Certain individuals have small white spots on the back of the body.

The fingers are short and have pads at their tips, which is why red-eyed tree frogs climb more often than swim. The head is round in shape, the eyes are large red with vertical pupils. The eyes are protected by a nictitating membrane that prevents dust from entering.

It is noteworthy that in Panama, young individuals are able to change color: during the day their bodies are green, and at night they become red-brown or purple. The eyes of young animals are not red, but yellow.

The red-eyed tree frog is also called the “tree nymph.”

Lifestyle of red-eyed tree frogs

The main habitats of these tree frogs are foothill and lowland tropical forests, which most often grow on the banks of water bodies. These tree frogs live in the middle or upper tier of the forest, and settle there on vines and leaves of plants.

Tree frogs are nocturnal, and during the daytime they sleep on the bottom of leaves, hiding from predators. When the tree frog is resting, a transparent membrane covers its eyes, but the frog can see. If she is in danger, she instantly opens her eyes and confuses the predator with her bright red color. These seconds are enough for the frog to instantly hide.

The main enemies of red-eyed tree frogs are snakes (mostly parrot snakes), small mammals, birds and tree lizards. Average duration The lifespan of the red-eyed tree frog is 3-5 years.

The bright color of the red-eyed tree frog scares away predators.

Tadpoles are eaten by fish, turtles and various arthropods. And caviar is a food source for wasps, cat-eyed snakes, fly larvae, monkeys and other living organisms. In addition, the eggs die from exposure to a fungal infection.

Red-eyed tree frogs, like other frogs, are carnivores. They feed on a variety of beetles, mosquitoes, flies, spiders, lepidoptera, frogs and small lizards, meaning they will eat any prey that fits in their mouth.

Red-eyed tree frogs are capable of swimming, they have a good sense of touch and parabolic vision. At night, the tree frog wakes up, stretches and yawns.

Although red-eyed tree frogs have intimidating bright colors and are non-venomous, their skin contains a large number of different peptides: caerulein, tachykinin and bradykinin.

Red-eyed tree frogs are actually non-poisonous frogs.

Reproduction of red-eyed tree frogs

In wet season, with the arrival of rains, tree frogs begin to reproduce. Peak activity occurs in May-November. Mature males have resonator sacs, which allows them to produce loud sounds.

Listen to the voice of the red-eyed tree frog

Competing with each other, males sing, thereby attracting a female. On dry nights they make sounds from plants, and on rainy nights they sing on the ground, sitting at the base of bushes.

When a female approaches a male whose singing has attracted her, several males attack her at the same time. Then the female, with one male sitting on her back, lowers herself into the water and remains in the water for about 10 minutes, absorbing water through her skin. One female lays 30-50 eggs. The eggs are green in color, with a diameter of 3.7 millimeters, and by the time the larvae emerge, they increase in diameter to 5.2 millimeters. The outside of the eggs is covered with an elastic gelatinous shell, which performs a protective function, since thanks to it the eggs become inconspicuous.

When the eggs are laid, the female returns to the water, where she restores water balance. In one season, the female manages to mate with several partners and make about 5 clutches.

The incubation process takes 6-10 days. If the tadpoles are in danger, for example, a wasp has attacked the clutch, or the pond is flooded, then they come out ahead of schedule for a few days. Most often, tadpoles from the same clutch hatch at the same time, and the liquid released from the eggs washes them all into the water.

Tree frog or tree frog (timber) is a frog that belongs to the phylum Chordata, class Amphibians (amphibians), order Tailless, family tree frog (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 is reflected in its verbal definition. Russian concept“Frog” appeared, apparently, because of the characteristic loud voice of the amphibian.

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

Due to the fact that the tree frog family includes a huge number of species, appearance These amphibians are very diverse. Some tree frogs are characterized by a flattened body structure with legs similar to knotty twigs, while other tree frogs have external resemblance with small frogs, and still others have a flabby torso, as if slightly blurred. However characteristic feature, inherent in almost all species, is the presence of peculiar suction disks on the tips of the fingers, covered with a thin layer of mucus.

Thanks 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 woodies can help themselves with the moist skin of their abdomen or throat when moving along steep planes. However, there are species of tree frogs with poorly developed suction ability. It is compensated by the special structure of the fingers on the hind and forelimbs, reminiscent of a human hand with an extended thumb. Such frogs slowly climb trees, one at a time grabbing branches.

The color of tree frogs depends on the species and can be very diverse. Most of them are characterized by camouflage coloring 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 are brightly colored with contrasting stripes or spots.

Tree frog eyes large size and protrude slightly forward, thanks to this, binocular coverage of the surrounding 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 woodworts is manifested in differences in the sizes of male and female individuals, which are much larger than males, and sometimes in color.

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

Where does the tree frog (tree frog) live?

The distribution range of tree frogs is fascinating 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 species of tree frogs 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 tropical and subtropical rainforests, deciduous and mixed plantations, as well as the coasts of reservoirs or slow rivers, wetlands and overgrown ravines.

What do tree frogs (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 wait in ambush for prey and catch it using the properties of their vision and a long sticky tongue.

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

The large tree frog family 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 on the coasts of small bodies of water or slow-moving rivers, in flooded ditches and wetlands 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 with yellowish-green hues and dark spots indeterminate form. The abdomen of the tree frog is decorated with bright green or brown stripes, and the elongated muzzle is clearly visible dark spot in the form of a triangle, located between the eyes. The hind limbs of the amphibian are relatively short with long toes connected by a swimming membrane. The sounds of the male tree frog during the breeding season resemble the sound of small stones knocking against each other. These amphibians lead an active daily lifestyle. In case of danger, they can jump up to 0.9 m in height.

• Cricket frog (Acris gryllus )

lives on the territory 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 colored brown or gray-brown with dark, almost black spots, which are bordered by a light green rim. In females, a white spot on the throat is clearly visible. Distinctive feature This type of tree frog is able to change color, adapting to the environment. The toes of the frog's long hind limbs are connected to each other 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 in natural conditions rarely exceeds 1 year. Woodworts lead a solitary lifestyle, gathering in large aggregations 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 humid tropical forests South America, included in the ecological system of 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 female individuals of this species of frogs can be 5 cm, but males have more modest dimensions. The frog's head with large bulging eyes is slightly expanded compared to its elongated, narrow body. The long toes on the hind and forelimbs end in well-developed suckers. Coloring skin The back and sides of the pinto tree frog are quite varied and can range from greenish-brown to red with a brown tint. On the main tone, patterns of white spots or stripes are clearly visible, creating characteristic mesh patterns. The belly of piebald tree frogs is bright red-orange. Solitary individuals spend the main part of their lives in trees, descending from them only during the breeding season. Piebald 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 size of adult female frogs reaches 53 mm, males are slightly smaller. The grass-green, brown, bluish or dark gray coloration of the tree frog's back and sides can easily change in accordance with the basic color of the surrounding environment or due to the physiological state of the animal. The belly of the common tree frog is colored white or yellowish. 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 usually spend daytime hours among the foliage of bushes or trees, and at twilight and at night they hunt insects. IN natural conditions these frogs live no more than 12 years.

• Shepherd's tree frog ( Hyla cinerea)

widespread 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 frog's body is slender, with a triangular head. Its length in adult females can reach 60 mm. The frog's eyes are medium-sized, slightly convex, golden brown in color, with vertical pupils. The smooth skin of the back is colored in a grass-like green and are separated from the beige belly by a thin white stripe. At the ends of the fingers of the frog's hind and forelimbs there are suction cups, with the help of which the tree frog easily moves not only along branches and leaves, but also along the surface of the ground. The amphibian leads a solitary lifestyle, gathering in large communities only during mating. It is active at night. The lifespan of a frog in natural conditions can reach 6 years.

• Barking tree frog ( Hyla graceosa)

is a typical inhabitant of the forest thickets of North America. The length of the frog's baggy body can reach 7 cm in females and 5 cm in males. The yellowish belly contrasts with the back, colored green, on which a pattern formed by dark green spots is clearly visible. The finger suckers are quite large. The tree frog gets its name from the barking sounds that male frogs make during mating season. Barking tree frogs spend most of their lives among the branches, high above the ground, but there are individuals that prefer to live near bodies of water. Amphibians are active at night, and during the day they sleep, hiding in a hollow tree or on the ground under fallen bark. Barking tree frogs form short-term pairs only for procreation. 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 observed near artificial or natural reservoirs and deep damp ravines. The size of frogs does 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. A pattern in the form of an oblique cross of black stripes, which border barely noticeable spots of an indeterminate shape, clearly appears on the tree frog’s back. It is noteworthy that depending on the temperature environment, humidity and time of year, the color of the changeable tree frog can vary greatly. The average life expectancy of variable tree frogs does not exceed 6 years.

• Osteopilus septentrionalis )

This is the largest tree frog in the world. It lives in bushes 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, but some individuals can reach 15 cm in size, making 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. Thus, female tree frogs are characterized by beige or green tones, and males are characterized by brown tones. The tree frog's legs have transverse stripes of a lighter or darker color. 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 litorians (Pelodryadinae):

• Coral-fingered lithorium or Australian white tree frog (Litoria caerulea )

lives in subtropical forests Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia. The size of adult females reaches 130 mm, and males rarely exceed 70 mm. The head of the Australian tree frog is short and wide, with large, protruding eyes with a horizontal pupil. The frog's skin 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. The inside of a tree frog's legs may have red-brown color. In addition to suction cups, amphibians have small membranes on their toes. The Australian white tree frog is characterized by a nocturnal lifestyle. The lifespan of coral-toed lithoria in natural conditions can reach 20 years.

SubfamilyPhyllomedusinae:

• Agalychnis callidryas)

lives on the upper tiers of lowland and foothill humid tropical forests Central and South America. The size of adult males rarely reaches 5.4-5.6 cm, and females do not exceed 7.5 cm. The surface of the skin is smooth. The frog's back is green and its belly is cream or white. The sides and bases of the limbs are blue, with a distinct yellow pattern. The toes of the limbs, adapted for climbing trees, are painted bright orange and have suction pads. Characteristic feature The red-eyed tree frog has red eyes with a vertical pupil. Despite their bright colors, these tree frogs are not poisonous. They are most active at night. The maximum lifespan of the red-eyed tree frog under natural conditions does not exceed 5 years.

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

The smallest “forest nymphs” are considered to be Litoria microbelos with a body length of up to 16 mm and tree frog Hyla emrichi (Dendropsophus minutus), with 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:

Chak phyllomedusa Phyllomedusa sauvagii

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

Appearance

The length of the tree frog is 4–7 cm, females are larger than males. Perhaps these are the most beautiful amphibians. The bright color of the tree frog camouflages it well in the abundant foliage among a riot of colors. In addition, at night, the camouflage changes under surrounding nature and it’s not visible at all. The top is painted bright green, the sides blue, belly is white. The legs are long and orange.

Each finger has a disc that secretes a sticky liquid. Having such devices, she easily climbs and descends trees. The discs, like suction cups, hold the tree frog even on leaves upside down. She is also an excellent jumper, easily jumping from branch to branch or leaf, covering a distance of about 1 meter.

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

Lifestyle. Nutrition

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

Reproduction

The mating season begins during the rainy season, which lasts from June to November. Males sit on branches above the water and sing their inviting songs. Also, intonation warns opponents that the place is occupied. A female can lay 1–3 clutches on tree leaves in one night. There are about 40 eggs in one clutch, each surrounded by a mucous membrane.

After 5–10 days, tadpoles appear and fall into the water, where they further development(21 – 60 days). Having assumed the appearance of an adult, young tree frogs leave aquatic environment and climb trees.

Red-eyed tree frogs (lat. Agalychnis callidryas) – owners of many advantages. First of all, they are beautiful. A soft 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. Everything they need for happy life– wet thickets along the banks of rivers and streams in the tropical forests of Central America and the presence of their favorite crickets, which are first on the list of food preferences of red-eyed tree frogs.

However, the matter is not limited to crickets alone, and tree frogs diversify their menu with everything 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 the tree frogs have two options to choose from - 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 eclipsing his gaze with its beauty.

In the first case, they just need to climb a tree, bend their orange legs and cover the blue stripes on the sides with their legs. 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 ponds and in trees, but prefer to lead wood image life, very rarely descending to earth. The long legs of these frogs are better suited for climbing trees than for swimming, and the suckers on each toe help them move easily along vertical surfaces, including wet leaves and tree trunks. For their ability to make long jumps, red-eyed tree frogs received the name “monkey frogs.”

The red eyes of these nocturnal amphibians have vertical pupils and are equipped with a nictitating membrane that moisturizes them and protects them from dust. Like the body of tree frogs, these membranes are painted in a bright color, but this in no way prevents 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 at the height of the rainy season. Sitting on a branch, the male begins to shake it vigorously, making calling sounds. With this behavior he pursues two goals at once - to scare off rivals and attract the attention of his partner.

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

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