The red eyed tree frog is an amphibian that is found in Mexico, Central America, northern South America and other places.
What Does the Red Eyed Tree Frog Look Like?
The Red eyed tree frog is a neon-green frog that has bright red eyes. They are small and colorful, having orange feet and bright yellow and blue sides.
Why Does the Colors of the Red Eyed Tree Frog Protect it?
The colors of the red eyed tree frog are so dramatic that it can throw off the predators when they try to hunt it. The different colors shock the predator and cause them to have to pause for an instant in order for it to look at the animal and this gives the frog a chance to escape.
The red eyed tree frog will keep its eyes closed and its colors covered by hiding under a leaf or stuck under a rock. When they are threatened, they will open their eyes which are bright red, and this will scare their predators.
The colors of the Red eyed Tree Frog cause the predator to see a ghostly shadow and gives the frog a chance to get away when it is being hunted.
Predators
The only predators that the Red Eyed Tree Frog have are ones that use their eyesight to find prey and ones that usually hunt at night. When the predator hunts at night, the colors are not easily seen, and this allows the predator to feed on the frog.
Where Does the Red Eyed Tree Frog Live?
The Red Eyed Tree Frog is found in Mexico, Central America and in South America and they are found in rain forests that have large canopy’s where they can hide. Most of these frogs are found in tropical locations.
Because of the name “tree” frog, most of these types of frogs do live in trees but since they are amphibians, they have their eggs in water so they live close to where they can get to water. After they have their eggs, they return to the trees.
How Does the Red Eyed Tree Frog Hunt?
The Red Eyed Tree Frog uses its long tongue that is sticky to hunt its food. It sits and waits for its prey to come before it begins to feed.
What Does the Red Eyed Tree Frog Eat?
The Red Eyed Tree Frog is a carnivore which means it eats meat. This frog eats smaller frogs, fruit flies, crickets, grasshoppers, moths and other insects.
How Big Does the Red Eyed Tree Frog Get?
Most of the Red Eyed Tree Frogs only get to up to 3 inches. The female is larger than the male and most male Red Eyed Tree Frogs only grow up to 2 inches long.
Facts About Red Eyed Tree Frogs:
- Red Eyed Tree Frogs can be found hanging on to branches.
- Red Eyed Tree Frogs need water to keep their skin moist.
- Some Red Eyed Tree Frogs live close to ponds all the time.
- Red Eyed Tree Frogs have sticky footpads that hold on to leaves and branches.
- Red Eyed Tree Frogs are nocturnal which means they are more active at night.
- A Red Eyed Tree Frog can change its color depending on its mood. Sometimes they get a dark red color or a reddish-brown color.
- The color of the Red Eyed Tree Frog is called “startle coloration” because it scares away its prey.
What Did You Learn?
- What is the Red Eyed Tree Frog? The Red Eyed Tree Frog is a tiny frog that is full of color and lives in tropical regions.
- What is special about the color of the Red Eyed Tree Frog? The colors of the Red Eyed Tree Frog are a defense mechanism called “startle coloration.” They use their color to distract their prey so they can get away.
- What does the Red Eyed Tree Frog eat? The Red Eyed Tree Frog eats insects, snakes, other frogs and many other small insects.
- Where do most Red Eyed Tree Frogs live? Red Eyed Tree Frogs live in tropical areas in the rainforest and spend most of their lives living in trees and hanging on branches.
- How big do Red Eyed Tree Frogs get? Most Red Eyed Tree Frogs get 2-3 inches in length.