One of the most iconic critters of tropical rainforests, just about everyone recognizes the Red-eyed Tree Frog – those bulging scarlet eyes can’t be missed! Common in the tropical rainforests of Central America, this ever-popular frog has a bright green body with blue-and-yellow-striped flanks, vibrant orange toe webbing with sticky pads on the end of each toe, and bright red eyes with vertical black pupils. Its pale underside has thin, soft skin, while its back is thicker and rougher. Medium-sized for a tree frog, at 7 cm it is about the size of a teacup, and like other tree frogs, females are larger than males.
The Red-eyed Tree Frog is arboreal and nocturnal, and spends its days sleeping in the canopy of the rainforest, where it is seldom encountered during the day. It will often tuck itself away into the leaves of tank bromeliads. At night, especially during the breeding season, it descends to the ground to hunt and breed, and can be found in riverine and pond habitats. It is an excellent jumper with its long, thin but powerful legs, earning it the nickname “monkey frog.” Red-eyed Tree Frogs are insectivorous, preying on a wide variety of insects. They use their long, sticky tongue to grab their prey. Despite its seemingly daunting coloration, the Red-eyed Tree Frog is not poisonous; rather, it relies on those bright colors and especially its big red eyes to startle potential predators, a trait called startle coloration. During the day, it folds in its legs and arms snugly up to its body and covers its brightly colored flanks and toe webbing, enabling it to blend in nicely with a green leaf. It extends its third eyelid, called a nictitating membrane, over its red eyes – this way it can still see movement and fluctuations in light and, more importantly, potential predators as it rests. If a predator comes near, the frog opens its big eyes and exposes its bright colors, giving it a second or two to distract the predator and a chance to escape. They are good swimmers and climbers.
Red-eyed Tree Frogs range from Mexico to Colombia, and can be found throughout Panama. They are widely distributed and presumed to have large populations, but of course are at risk of habitat loss, as are all rainforest animals. They are found occasionally around the Canopy Family lodges.
Credit : Canopy family
Picture Credit : Google
