The most dangerous animals in the world: poisonous tree frogs. Common tree frog - Hyla arborea Toad tree frog

She can definitely claim to be a princess. The tree frog, or tree frog, is a very cute creature of nature.

Tree frog - tree nymph

The tree frog is also called a tree frog. And literally translated from Latin, she is called a beautiful tree nymph.

What does the tree frog look like, what does it eat and where does it live?

The beautiful tree frog has a green back with an emerald tint and a milky belly. The stripe that runs along the sides can be black or gray-brown. These amazing animals are able to change their color depending on the weather: with a sharp cold snap, the upper part of the tree nymph darkens. They are distinguished by their slenderness, which is unprecedented for frogs, and a significant part of their life is spent in the crown of trees or shady bushes growing on the banks of reservoirs. The most big frog reaches a size of about 40 cm, but in European latitudes small individuals up to 5-7 cm are more common.

These amazing amphibians move with equal dexterity in bodies of water and on land. In addition, they are excellent at moving through trees: they climb over and jump from branch to branch. But such a frog spends almost the entire day in a motionless position, merging with the foliage. At the tips of the tree's fingers there are formations that resemble suction pads. Thanks to this natural “tool” she can long time adhere effortlessly to a smooth surface (such as plastic or glass).

With the arrival of darkness, the tree frog begins to hunt. Excellent night vision allows you to easily catch nimble flies and mosquitoes. Green eaters also do not refuse caterpillars, ants and small beetles. The long sticky tongue helps to capture prey. If large food is caught, then the tenacious front paws come to the rescue. And of all types of frogs, only tree frogs can catch an insect while jumping and stay on a branch in time with the help of tenacious fingers.

For normal life activities, the tree frog definitely needs water procedures: it prefers to swim in evening time. This simple ceremony allows the liquid to penetrate the skin and restore balance in the body.

“Wintering” of the tree frog and its wonderful singing

To survive the winter cold, tree frogs begin searching for shelter already in mid-autumn: they climb into small hollows, cracks in the foundations of buildings, into root voids, and less often burrow into the muddy bottom of reservoirs with slow flow. After all, she needs reliable shelter to survive the winter weather. These frogs are among the first to wake up, and males begin to wake up a week earlier than females. In the absence of frost, already in mid-March they return to their usual habitat.

The usual way of moving along branches for red-eyed tree frog- walking on raised paws

Green soloists loudly notify everyone about the beginning of spring.

Listen to the voice of the tree frog

Resonant and very loud singing is available to tree frogs thanks to special structure a resonator located in the throat (in most species of frogs such resonators are located on the sides of the head).

While singing, the skin on the neck turns into a convex ball, and the loud sound resembles the usual quack of ducklings, but at a higher pitch.

Males are the famous singers, their hallmark is the golden color of the jaw skin.

Keeping a tree frog at home

Experts say that the common tree frog takes root well in comfortable terrariums.

Thanks to their bright colors and elegant contours, they are always noticeable and aesthetically pleasing. The feeding method is quite simple: the frog is quite happy with the bred fruit flies and varieties of flies.

(Linnaeus, 1758)
(= Hyla viridis - Eichwald, 1830; Hyla arborea var. orientalis Bedriaga, 1890)

Appearance. Small tree frogs, maximum body length- 53 mm (in Europe up to 60 mm). Coloring very changeable, maybe change literally before our eyes, depending on the color of the substrate and the physiological state. The top is grassy green to dark grey, bluish or brown. Along the sides of the head and body there is a dark stripe with a white border on top, which forms a loop near the groin area. The bottom is white or yellowish. In males throat dark.

Hind tarsus of the common tree frog (1 - discs)

Spreading. A European species inhabiting the west and north of the Iberian Peninsula and almost the rest of Europe, except southern France, Italy, Great Britain and Scandinavia. On the territory of the former USSR northern border passes through the south of Lithuania, southern Belarus, to the southeast to the Kursk, Belgorod, Oryol and Tula (?) regions. Absent in the Rostov region and Volga-Kama region. In the south it is found in Moldova and Ukraine. Isolated areas of the range are located in the south of Crimea and the Caucasus.

The distribution of the species in Russia requires additional study.

Taxonomy of the species. The species apparently consists of 4 subspecies. 2 are represented on the territory of the former USSR and Russia. The European part of the range is occupied by the nominative subspecies, Hyla arborea arborea(Linnaeus, 1758). In the Caucasus, from the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories and Dagestan in the north to Georgia, northeastern Armenia and Azerbaijan in the south, it lives Shelkovnikov's tree frog, Hyla arborea schelkownikawi Cernov, 1926.

Habitats. Tree frogs are associated with the forest zone, although they can be found in forest-steppe and even steppe areas. They live in broad-leaved and mixed forests, bushes, less often in meadows, at an altitude of up to 1250 m above sea level in the Carpathians and 2200 m in Azerbaijan. They are most common in floodplain and lowland oak forests, alder forests, in floodplain meadows of rivers and lakes, overgrown with shrubs, along the banks of reclamation ditches. They are found in vegetable gardens, orchards, parks, and vineyards. Avoid coniferous forests, scree and bare rocks, alpine meadows in the Carpathians. In the Caucasus they were found in the zone of subalpine meadows.

Activity. Activity is predominantly nocturnal. During the day, tree frogs sit huddled on the leaves of trees, bushes or tall herbaceous plants (for example, rush grass) and, due to their protective coloring, are difficult to distinguish. Tree frogs not only climb trees well, including completely smooth vertical surfaces, but are also capable of making long jumps and swimming well. IN breeding season and later the calls of individual males can be heard during the day. Choirs of tree frogs are also sometimes heard on cloudy days.

Reproduction. Tree frogs in spring are awakening in late March - early April, in Moldova in the first ten days of April, in the Carpathians and Crimea in April-May, in the Caucasus in early March, at an air temperature of 8-12 ° C. Sometimes they have to overcome up to 750 m to get into the reservoir . The males that arrive first are concentrated along the edge of the reservoir.

For reproduction They use various well-heated reservoirs with standing water and vegetation. These can be small bodies of water in clearings or forest edges, puddles, swamps, reclamation ditches, shallow coastal parts of lakes. Tree frogs do not lay eggs in rivers and other flowing bodies of water. Intense night concerts, organized by males, can continue until the end of May.

Spawning occurs at a water temperature of 13°C. The female lays about 690-1870 eggs several portions in the form of small lumps (in Moldova there are 15-21 lumps of 21-56 eggs).

Masonry lie at the bottom of the reservoir or attached to plants. The spawning period is extended and lasts from the beginning of April to the end of July, in the Caucasus from the end of March to May. The diameter of the egg with shell is 3-4.5 mm, the egg is 1.0-1.6 mm.

Embryonic development lasts about 8-14 days. The size of the larvae after hatching is 8-9 mm. Larval development lasts 45-90 days. Before metamorphosis, tadpoles reach a length of 46-49 mm.

Appearance (a) and oral disc (b) of a common tree frog tadpole

Cases of overwintering larvae have been recorded in the Carpathians. Fingerlings 10-17 mm or more long come to land during the daytime in July - early September. Unlike adults, they are very active during the day and stay mainly on the grass near water bodies.

Sexual maturity occurs in the third year of life when the body length of males is 35 mm, females 37 mm and more. IN breeding season Males are numerically predominant in reservoirs. This is most likely due to the fact that females immediately leave water bodies after spawning, while males remain in them for a long time. The average annual mortality rate is about 34%. The maximum life expectancy in nature is at least 12 years; in captivity they live up to 22 years.

Nutrition. Among food, about 15-50% are flying insects. Tree frogs eat mainly various beetles, mostly leaf beetles, click beetles, in addition to dipterans, butterfly caterpillars, ants, as well as spiders, earwigs, etc. They hunt, as a rule, passively, hiding and quickly seizing the prey that appears.

The tree frogs themselves become booty, mainly in bodies of water, where they are caught by various reptiles and birds.

Wintering. They leave for the winter at the end of September - October. In the Caucasus and Crimea they are active until November, and in warm winters can be found in December and January. Autumn migrations occur at night, but can also be observed during the daytime. The disappearance of tree frogs coincides with leaf fall. They overwinter in hollows, burrows, under tree roots, in the forest floor, among brushwood and logs, in crevices of stone buildings, pits, basements and cellars, and also, possibly, in silt and at the bottom of reservoirs.

Abundance and conservation status. The common tree frog is a generally common species. Estimates of its abundance are made mainly during the breeding season, when individuals are concentrated in water bodies and are available for censuses. Outside the reproductive period, it is not easy to detect. The nominative subspecies is found on the territory of a number of nature reserves in Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, where most of its range is located in former USSR. In these countries, the situation of the subspecies is generally favorable and does not cause concern. The situation is different in Russia, where eastern border subspecies and where the nominative subspecies is not represented in any reserve. Meanwhile, according to some data, it is in Russia that there has been a decrease in the number of the subspecies and its distribution. It is possible that already in the 1980s, tree frogs of this subspecies completely disappeared from the region. In this regard, urgent research and special conservation measures are needed. Hyla arborea arborea is listed in the Red Book of Latvia (in whose territory it is absent) and Lithuania. It is not listed in the Red Book of the USSR and other European republics.

The Caucasian subspecies is quite common and lives in many nature reserves. The situation with him is good. It is not listed in the Red Book of Russia and the Transcaucasian republics.

Similar species. Easily recognizable look. In Transcaucasia, in a number of places it coexists (or is distributed very closely) with the Asia Minor tree frog, from which it differs in the presence of an inguinal loop. Isolated geographically from the Far Eastern tree frog.

At the Ecosystem Ecological Center you can purchase color identification table " Amphibians and reptiles of central Russia"and a computer identification of amphibians (amphibians) of Russia, as well as others teaching materials By aquatic fauna and flora(see below).

It is no coincidence that this small frog most often ends up in amateur terrariums: after all, it is famous for its excellent appetite, peaceful character and interesting behavior. Keeping an ordinary tree frog at home is not difficult, and the only inconvenience that awaits future owners is the morning “concerts” staged from time to time by the males. However, even this problem can be solved - but more on that later.

If you find yourself near a forest lake in March-April, it is likely that you will hear loud “crack” sounds repeated five to seven, or even more times. If, moreover, you are observant and try to determine where the local “singer” is sitting, you will find out that it is by no means in the water, as one might assume. And most likely - in the reeds or in the leaves of coastal trees. Carefully approaching the place from which the mating song sounds, take a closer look - and you will notice a small frog with discs on the tips of its fingers. This is the common tree frog - the only representative of domestic amphibians that spends most of its life in trees (it’s not for nothing that its name means “tree-dweller” in Latin).

Tree frogs spend most of their lives outside water bodies. Typical habitats of these amphibians are deciduous and mixed forests, banks of reclamation canals and river valleys, overgrown with bushes and tall grass. Tree frogs are often found in populated areas- for example, in Belarus, in the Brest region, in the city of Byaroza, trees were found directly on the glass windows of individual houses.

Of course, for a safe “life at heights” certain body skills and special “tools” are required. The disks on the fingertips act as such “biodevices.” These extensions on the lower side are covered with five-hexagonal tubercles, the number of which can reach up to 13-20 thousand on one finger!

In terms of their mode of action, the discs resemble rubber suction cups; their structure is so efficient that tree frogs can sit for hours on an absolutely smooth surface (for example, glass) without much effort. Additional assistance is provided by the peculiar cellular structure of the skin on the throat and abdomen, where there are special glands. These glands secrete a sticky liquid, so that the tree frog seems to stick to the surface, “hugging” it with its skin.

But that's not all! Like chameleons, woodworts can change skin color. The main reasons for color changes are temperature and relative humidity. Thus, with a decrease in temperature and an increase in humidity, amphibians darken (this usually happens before wintering). Under similar conditions created in the terrarium, a change in the color of individual individuals was observed from bright green to dark gray with a brown tint. Let us add that tree frogs almost always darken even if they feel uncomfortable.

The most suitable time for catching these amphibians is spring, the breeding season, when they gather near water bodies. In summer, tree frogs spend most of their time on trees, bushes or tall herbaceous plants, and it is very difficult to notice them due to their camouflage coloration. The tree's diet consists of 96% various forms invertebrates (with 15-20% flying). Typically, tree frogs feed on leaf beetles, flea beetles, caterpillars, click beetles, ants, etc.

These amphibians are most active at dusk. Before “going out hunting,” they dive into the dewy grass or pond to take a bath. During the day, especially in dry weather, the skin of amphibians evaporates a huge amount of moisture, and water reserves, of course, need to be replenished. The liquid quickly enters the tree frog's body through the skin, and soon the tree frogs can begin to eat. They return to the top, into the foliage, and lie in wait for prey.

When catching prey, tree frogs, as a rule, use not only a long sticky tongue - they often make dizzying leaps, catching the insect in the air. In this case, the woodies are forced to take into account two trajectories at the same time - for the head with the tongue and for the paws. The tongue should “meet” the victim, and the paws should grab onto something in time and prevent a fall.

At the same time, tree frogs aim with one turn of their heads, and not by moving their whole body, like, say, frogs or toads. Having grabbed prey that cannot be immediately swallowed, the woodworms help themselves with their front legs, pushing the resisting insect into the mouth.

At the same time, the tree frogs “wink,” slightly pressing their eyeballs inward—as if they were squinting with pleasure. In fact, this game of blind man's buff allows the amphibian to push the prey further into the esophagus with the lower edge of the eyeballs.

A very important period in the life of tree frogs is wintering. Woodworms go to it at the end of September - in October; they hide in hollows, abandoned holes, voids under roots and forest floor, in the cracks of stone houses, basements, in the silt at the bottom of reservoirs, etc. As a rule, not all tree frogs survive severe frosts.

These amphibians leave their wintering grounds relatively early. In the southern regions, already in March you can hear individual “soloists” resounding with their “crack” sounds along the banks of reservoirs. Tree frogs “scream” with the help of a superbly developed throat resonator (unlike real frogs, which have two resonators located on the sides of their heads). In this case, the skin on the throat is inflated into a small golden ball; The males release air from there and make sounds similar to a duck quack, but of a higher pitch.

It is by the presence or absence of a resonator on the throat that it is easiest to determine the sex of a tree frog. Naturally, you will not wait until the “bird sings” - after all, it may not “sing” if it is a female. It is much easier to carefully turn the animal over and see what color the skin on its lower jaw is. If it is white it is a female, if it is golden it is a male. It should be remembered that tree frogs reach sexual maturity in the third or fourth year of life and the skin of young animals will most likely be equally white.

Another way to determine the sex of tree frogs (and almost all tailless amphibians) is by imitation of amplexus. Amplexus is the position of the male on the female during the breeding season, when the male picks up and squeezes the female from the sides, under her front legs.

In nature, confusion can very often occur and “in a fit of passion”, without properly understanding who is in front of him, the male is able to grab the male in amplexus. Finding himself in such a piquant position, the male below emits a special cry using a resonator, which can roughly be translated as “go away, pervert!”

So, if you take any tailless amphibian (including a tree frog) and carefully (!) squeeze it from the sides behind the front legs, the male will definitely inflate the resonator slightly and, most likely, will croak.

But even if he silently endures your “dirty harassment”, still the saggy skin in the place where the resonator should be will unmistakably tell you: this is a male. And vice versa, if all the squeezing did not lead to anything, then you have a representative of the fairer sex.

So, in May, in the same reservoirs on the banks of which the males “gave concerts” all spring, mating and spawning begin. The fertility of tree frogs is relatively low - 500-1400 eggs, which the female lays in portions of 4-100 pieces in the form of small lumps. At first - about 70%, the second portion is only 20%, and the last - only 10%. It has been established that as females age, the number and size of eggs increases. Thus, two-year-old tree frogs lay about 500 eggs with a diameter of slightly less than 1 mm, three-year-olds - about 800 eggs with a diameter of 1.2 mm, four-year-olds - about 1,100 eggs with a diameter of 1.4 mm, and five-year-olds - more than 1,300 with a diameter of 1.6 mm.

Woodworts prefer to spawn in stagnant, well-warmed bodies of water. Tree frogs usually spawn at night (after 11 pm), one pair copes with this in 1-6 hours.

IN unfavorable conditions caviar can remain viable for a long time. Since its lumps lie on the bottom or among aquatic vegetation, it is difficult to notice them - and there are enough people who like to feast on caviar in nature (almost all aquatic predators, some birds, etc.).

The development of embryos occurs within 8-12 days. Then the tadpoles develop for 80-90 days, and only then undergo the process of metamorphosis. Tree frog larvae are olive-yellow in color, with a metallic sheen on the abdomen. The caudal fin is wide, pointed at the end, the dorsal ridge begins approximately at eye level. On upper lip the oral disc has 2 rows of denticles, and the lower one has 3. Having gone through the process of metamorphosis, the young woodies at first stay mainly on the grass near water bodies and are very active during the day. As a rule, this is why they most often end up in amateur terrariums.

If you decide to have these cute animals at home, first of all take care of a home for them. Tree frogs need a terrarium vertical type, i.e. one in which the height will be longer and width, with shallow water and dense vegetation. Unlike their foreign relatives, common tree frogs do not break stems and leaves; only the largest individuals are capable of occasionally harming a particular plant. Therefore, you can approach the design of the terrarium creatively. However, you should remember: the terrarium should be equipped so that it is convenient to clean.

It is best to put a drainage layer (for example, fine expanded clay) on the bottom, and sphagnum moss on top. It is more rational to plant plants in flower pots, which are placed at the bottom and decorated on the outside with the same moss. The most suitable for a terrarium with tree frogs are numerous representatives of aroids and bromeliads; in the latter case, it is necessary to avoid specimens with leaves on which spines grow.

Woodworts do not need a deep pool, so it is enough to place a small photo cuvette in the terrarium, where fresh, settled water should be added as needed room temperature. It is also advisable to spray the terrarium with a spray bottle several times a week and water the plants daily.

The question often arises: is it possible to put driftwood in a tree frog’s terrarium? Since amateurs are most often unable to properly disinfect wood, sooner or later such “snag” gives rise to a certain number of problems. It is best to pick up this piece of terrarium decoration at the Bird Market or at a pet store, or limit yourself to a certain number of tall-stemmed and climbing plants. The latter can also be planted in specially glued glass flowerpots attached to the walls of the terrarium.

We must not forget that living plants require constant care, mineral fertilizing, pruning, etc. As alternative option Some hobbyists (who can afford it) choose artificial plants.

A few words about the “electrification” of the terrarium. Depending on its volume, a light bulb is selected (fluorescent or incandescent, combined lamps are also possible). The main thing is that all electrical wiring is outside! - after all, in a terrarium with tree frogs it is necessary to maintain relatively high level humidity.

And one more thing: it is better to build the door in the terrarium on the side and at least not leave the top open - after all, you are dealing with first-class steeplejacks. Otherwise, you will have to look for fugitives throughout the room.

Now about the animals themselves. You select their number depending on your own capabilities - remember, the more tree frogs you have in the terrarium, the more food they require and the larger the terrarium itself should be. Try not to keep many males at once if possible - unless, of course, you need a free morning alarm clock.

It is best to feed animals using tweezers, especially if you have several tree frogs. In this case, you will not only be able to control the amount of food that each inhabitant of the terrarium receives, but also, if necessary, you will begin to feed certain doses of vitamins. Since an overdose can lead to the death of an animal, the ability to control the amount of multivitamin complex fed is very important.

Very quickly, tree frogs, even those taken from nature, get used to human hands and tweezers. Since woodies use their tongues to grab their prey, you'll have to do a little work to retrain them. But over time - and very quickly - tree frogs begin to “figure out” what’s what and grab the insect with their jaws, so you can calmly open the tweezers and allow the amphibian to swallow the food. The diet of woodworms includes almost all invertebrates. At home, it is most convenient to feed them with special food cockroaches, flies, etc.

It is better not to winterize animals, replacing it with a small temperature (12-14 ° C) and light diapause, during which the animals are not fed. As for breeding tree frogs at home, I’m afraid this is unlikely to succeed - mainly because of the “sound attack” to which not only you, but also your neighbors will be subjected. However, if you have such a desire, go for it and good luck to you!

But even if you limit yourself to just keeping the trees, you will get great pleasure watching these interesting and cute amphibians.

So far, amphibians living in water and on land have been described, but many of them decided to climb higher! Representatives tree frog family (Hylidae) especially popular among terrarium enthusiasts. They spend most of their lives in trees and bushes, and only sometimes go down. Some tropical species even manage without these “visits.”

They “take baths” and lay eggs in small ponds formed in the axils or rosettes of leaves and tree hollows. Long fingers with suction cups at the end allow them to climb not only trunks and branches, but also smooth leaves, and in captivity, glass, easily holding on to vertical surfaces. In addition, tree frogs are able to make huge jumps, instantly “sticking”, for example, to the opposite wall of the room.

Many species are brightly colored, as reflected in their names: "orange-sided", "golden", "variegated", etc., although most have a green or brownish protective coloration with spots and stripes. Three domestic species are common in Russia: common (Hula arborea), Asia Minor (N. savignyi) And Far Eastern (H.japonica) tree frog. These are small (3-4 cm) frogs that lead an arboreal lifestyle. All of them in one way or another belong to protected species.

As an example, consider the common tree frog, which lives in the south of the European part of Russia, in Krasnodar region and in the Caucasus. But in some years with particularly hot summers, tree frogs were found in the south of the Moscow region. Their green color makes them completely invisible against the background of green leaves. Their existence is revealed only by the sharp cries of the males. Their singing can be heard night and day, especially before rain. Adult tree frogs usually live in trees far from water, and young ones often stay on aquatic vegetation, sitting directly above the water (on reeds, cattails, reeds, sedges).

These frogs are active both day and night, but in the darkEvery day they feel bolder: they climb down from the trees and catch insects in the grass. They overwinter by burrowing into the litter or hiding in burrows, hollows, and under stones. Before wintering, the color of tree frogs changes to darker. They hunt various insects, but give preference to winged ones - flies or butterflies. Large prey, like other frogs, is pushed into the mouth using the front legs. For breeding, they choose reservoirs whose banks are bordered by reeds, bushes and trees. Females lay eggs in the spring, in large clumps, in several stages. One female can lay up to a thousand eggs. Very small tadpoles, no more than 0.5 cm, hatch after 10 days. Their development lasts for 3 months; the size of the tadpole before metamorphosis is up to 5 cm. Frogs become sexually mature in the 3rd-4th year of life.

More attractive for home keeping are tropical tree frogs, whose captive breeding is well established, and therefore some species are sold in pet stores. Most often this Australian species: blue, or coral-toed, (Litoria caerulea) And long-legged (L. infrafrenata) litoria. These are large (up to 14 cm) amphibians of green color, sometimes with a bluish tint. Calm, even phlegmatic, they live well at home and are capable of simple training, which is why they often become pets. They require a spacious, high terrarium. A mixture of leaf soil, peat and expanded clay is used as a pound, in which plants with dense leathery leaves can be planted. It is necessary to place a wide and deep pond for swimming at the bottom. When decorating a terrarium, you can use driftwood and tree branches that will protect the plant stems from breakage. The temperature is slightly above room temperature: 20-32 °C. Humidity is about 80%. Food: crickets, cockroaches and other insects of suitable size. Tree frogs very readily eat flies and mosquitoes. They quickly get used to taking food from their fingers or tweezers. Tree frogs can be trained to croak when the lights are turned on. In order for the frogs to start making sounds, they use a box of matches - just shake it next to the terrarium, and the males begin to “respond”. If you do this every day when you turn on the light (lamps for illuminating the terrarium), then the tree frogs will produce conditioned reflex- croak when the owner approaches the terrarium and turns on the lamp. IN mating season Male tree frogs scream loudly on their own initiative, warning a possible rival that the given territory is already occupied, and attracting females with their cries.

Externally, the representatives look like tree frogs family of copepod frogs, or copepod, (Rhacophoridae), common in Southeast Asia And tropical Africa. Some Asian species famous for their ability to glide with the help of greatly enlarged membranes between the toes of their hind legs. Most often it goes to amateurs house copepod (Polypedates leucomystax), breeding in captivity. These are medium-sized amphibians: the body length of males is 4-5 cm, females are twice as large. The color is brown with darker spots and stripes. They are undemanding to living conditions. The main thing that attracts the attention of amateurs to them is their method of reproduction. The eggs are laid in a foam nest built by the parents. It is located above the water, between the leaves of low-hanging plants. In a terrarium, copepods build a nest on the side walls or simply on the ground. After 2-5 weeks, the foam liquefies and the hatched tadpoles roll into the water. Small copepods are fed in the same way as tree frogs. And reproduction in captivity is stimulated with the help of hormonal injections, which is not available to beginners.

Of course, representatives of the poison dart frog family (Dendrobatidae). Incredibly bright color interesting behavior, beautiful “singing” and, last but not least, the deadly poison produced skin some species attract the attention of not only biologists and ecologists, but also a large army of terrarium enthusiasts. Fortunately, when kept and bred in captivity, the toxicity of the poison practically disappears. It is possible that it depends on living conditions and the type of food, but nothing is known for sure. This allows us to recommend Dendrobates as pets.

For a group of poison dart frogs (1 male and 3-4 females), a spacious terrarium with dimensions of at least 40 x 25 x 25 cm is required. The soil is a mixture of peat, fern roots and sphagnum. A driftwood with plants from the bromeliad family placed on it is required. Ventilation required. Temperature during the day is 23-27 °C, at night 19-22 °C. Humidity is about 70%. Lighting is required; in this case, it is advisable to provide for daily 30-60-minute quartz treatment with a LAU-30 lamp. Feed: small insects, spiders and other invertebrates; should be in stock, since dart frogs are very energetic frogs and in the event of a week-long hunger strike they can simply die, which is different from their other cold-blooded relatives who eat just once a week.

Reproduction of poison dart frogs is incredibly interesting, although very difficult for a novice terrarium hobbyist. The male, sitting on a horizontal leaf of the plant, calls to him with melodious trills the females who are ready to reproduce. Caviar in the amount of 5-10 pieces is deposited directly on this leaf. The male fertilizes it, and then remains nearby for a while, moistening the eggs with his mucus as needed. The tadpoles hatch on the 10-15th day, and the father carries them on his own back in a lump of foamy mucus to the nearest body of water: such a body of water is often water accumulated in the axils of bromeliad leaves. The female periodically visits her children, laying unfertilized eggs in their water, which serve as food for them. The male defends his territory and his “harem” (usually he has several females), bravely attacking male poison dart frogs of his species.

They are imported into our country the following types Dendrobates: dye frog (D. auratus)- black-blue or black-yellow, about 4 cm in size; small poison dart frog (D. pumilo) - usually bright red with black or blue legs, 1.5-2 cm in size; blue (D. azureus) poison dart frog- blue-blue with black spots, size 4 cm; sacred (D. leucomelas) poison dart frog - black with bright yellow spots and stripes, 3.5 cm in size.

In terms of difficulty of keeping, other amphibians with equally bright colors can be compared with Dendrobates. For example, harlequins (Atelopus) - small toads from tropical areas of America and Madagascar frog mantella (Mantella). Unfortunately, all these interesting tailless amphibians do not live long - 5-6 years. (However, this is longer than the lifespan of a laboratory white rat - about one and a half years!). In addition, all exotics are poorly tamed, completely ignoring the existence of their own owner. Therefore, I do not suggest that beginners should definitely have them - this is the lot of “advanced” terrarium keepers who have accumulated great experience keeping amphibians in captivity. I just want you to love all amphibians, these wonderful animals - slippery, cold, but incredibly interesting and cute.

Appearance of a tree frog

Tree frogs belong to the family of tailless amphibians, and include more than 800 species of tree frogs. The main difference between these frogs and others is the presence of special suction cups on their feet, thanks to which they are able to move vertically.

Such suction cups on the fingers are equipped with additional muscles that relax them and allow them to press more tightly to the substrate. In addition to such Velcro, there are also sticky areas on the skin of the abdomen and throat.

The second difference between woody ones is that many species are brightly colored, as can be seen in the photo. Shocking neon green, bright yellow, green-orange, and red colors highlight this amphibian, warning those who want to dine on it that this lunch will not only be the last in the life of the frog, because they are usually very poisonous.

Tree frogs are most often brightly colored

But there are also less noticeable types - gray or brown, for example, American tree frog. And the squirrel tree frog can even change color, adapting to the world around us.

The size of these amphibians depends on the species, and the largest of them are only up to 14 cm in length. On average, their size is only 2-4 cm, and dwarf tree frogs generally a little more than a centimeter.

This is not surprising, because heavy weight steeplejack frogs will not survive thin tree branches and leaves. Males are smaller than females, but they have a leather pouch under their throats, which they can beautifully inflate and make sounds to them.

Tree frogs' eyes typically protrude from their heads, providing binocular vision. The pupils are most often located vertically. The tongue is long and sticky, very useful for hunting insects.

It is worth mentioning separately tree frog toxicity– not everything is so scary for a person. Some generally only disguise themselves as dangerous. To be poisoned, you must allow the poison to enter the body.

Touching with hands can be unpleasant and painful, but not fatal. It is believed that poisonousness is not an innate quality of the frog. Studies have shown that the poison is adsorbed from insects, which contain them in minimal doses.

Tree frog habitat

Tree frogs live in temperate climatic zone Europe and Asia. The Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine are their habitat. In our country they live in the central part.

Pictured are American tree frogs

Many species live in Korea and China, Tunisia, the Japanese Islands and northwest Africa. Northern and South America, Türkiye, Australia, and the Caribbean islands are also the home of these amphibians.

Over time, they were settled in New Caledonia, New Zealand. A red tree frog has been found in the jungles of Panama and Costa Rica. Simply put, these amphibians live everywhere except Antarctica.

Tree frogs love to settle in tropical, mixed forests. The banks of reservoirs, swamps, and large wet ravines are also suitable for them. They live both in trees and on the forest floor, and some species live in lakes and ponds. This type of amphibian chooses to live in hot and humid thickets, where there are many insects.

Lifestyle of a tree frog

Tree frogs are both diurnal and night look life. Frogs are cold-blooded, and their body temperature depends on environment. Therefore, they are not afraid of either cold or heat.

Tree frog with inflated throat sac

When the air temperature becomes critically low, these amphibians go into suspended animation, burrowing into the ground. Tree frogs also live in the hot desert and can survive without water. for many years. It's no wonder how these creatures survived for 200 million years.

The poisonous mucus that forms on the skin of these frogs protects them from viruses and bacteria. Also, secretions form on the skin in moments of danger. As is usually the case, poisonous creatures can be both beneficial and healing.

So from fat tree frog preparing medicines against diabetes mellitus, hypertension, blood clots, to improve immunity and much more. Tree frog caviar oil is also used in medicine. Based on it, drugs are made to treat stroke and increase libido.

Tree frog nutrition

Baby tree frog tadpoles feed on plant matter. And adults are insectivores. Any and living in this ecosystem are suitable as food.

They eat frogs, caterpillars,... They use a long and sticky tongue to catch prey. There are cannibals in the family - golden tree frog, instead of insects, it eats its own kind.

Beautiful and unusual representatives of amphibians are also kept in home aquariums, where they are fed with live insects, such as worms, ground beetles, and other small invertebrates using tweezers.

Residues of food must be periodically removed from the terrarium and placed clean water into the drinking bowl and for bathing, as well as remove mucus harmful to frogs from the walls.

Reproduction and lifespan

Males use their secret weapon- songs with a throat pouch. Different species sing differently, so only the “right” brides respond.

As for behavior during the mating season, it also differs among different species. Representatives living in trees descend to the ground, where they call for a female. Most often, mating directly occurs in water.

The female tree frog lays her eggs in the water and the male fertilizes them. There are species that mate on the ground, and hide the eggs in curled leaves or even carry them on themselves until the tadpoles hatch.

There are about 2 thousand or more eggs in one clutch. They ripen completely differently in different species. There are “early ripening” caviar, which turn into larvae within a couple of days, and there is also one that needs two weeks to mature.

Pictured is a red-eyed tree frog

The larvae gradually turn into adult frogs, and this happens within 50-100 days. They become sexually mature only at 2-3 years of age. live different types different quantities time. There are those who do not live longer than three years, and some live 5-9 years. In captivity, some individuals live up to 20 years.