The red-eyed tree frog is a bright, but non-poisonous beauty. Red-eyed tree frog description report abstract information message photo presentation Green frog with red eyes

Red-eyed tree frog(lat. Agalychnis callidryas) - one of the most beautiful frogs. It belongs to the genus of Bright-eyed tree frogs (Agalychnis) of the Hylidae family. She has a very funny face with red eyes and a contrasting green-blue-yellow body. This wonderful creature has been living on our planet for about 10 million years.

Behavior

The frog spends most of its time in the trees, having learned to skillfully hide from the ubiquitous predatory animals, and if detected, frighten them with its amazing outfit. Khitrunya masterfully uses bright colors to her advantage. Sitting on a green leaf, she pulls her legs close to her body, closes her eyes and becomes practically invisible. When a predator approaches, the amphibian opens its eyes and shows it its bright outfit in all its glory. So she confuses the enemy, and she quickly moves away.

Although the frog relies mainly on protective camouflage, it also has poisonous skin. The poison is not dangerous, but it leaves a very unpleasant taste in the predator’s mouth.

This small amphibian defies gravity, hanging on to sticks, leaves and even glass.

On her legs there are hexagonal nanopillars that cling to any surface. Between them there are channels through which mucus flows, giving the legs wet adhesion, which, together with friction, allows them to stick to any surface. The red-eyed tree frog inhabits areas near ponds and rivers in tropical forests and humid lowlands from Mexico to central Panama and northern Colombia. The optimal temperature for these amphibians is 25°-39°C during the day, and 18°-26°C at night.

Nutrition

During daylight hours, the frog sleeps among the foliage, hiding its bright colors and being covered with small yellow spots like a leaf. At night, when the risk to life is minimal, it becomes more active and goes hunting.

The basis of its diet consists of moths, crickets, flies and other insects. To quickly swallow food, she closes her eyes. Its tiny teeth hold prey, and its eyes retract into the body and push food towards the throat. Although the tree frog can simply swallow food, this technique significantly speeds up the whole process.

Reproduction

The male uses vibrations to mark his territory and scare away competitors. Sitting on a branch, it creates waves that spread 1.5 m around. This place is quite enough for him to live comfortably.

The mating season begins with the arrival of the rainy season and lasts from autumn to the first days of spring.

At this time, males descend to the ground and occupy areas near bodies of water, over which branches of trees or bushes hang.

They begin to send love signals at dusk after rain. On dry nights, the calls of the cavaliers are heard from high branches in the treetops. When the ponds are filled with water, a loud croaking sound is heard from the ground or from low-lying branches. Often while singing, males change their location and send their arias in different directions. Females, hearing croaking, descend from the trees and choose partners, apparently guided by their singing and size.

The gentleman jumps on the lady's back, and they go into the pond. There she draws water through the skin and moistens the eggs. Then the couple climbs the tree and looks for a suitable place for laying. The leaves of plants hanging over the water surface are suitable for this purpose.

The eggs are attached to the underside of a wide leaf using a sticky mass.

If the clutch is on top of the leaf, then the parents hide it from the sun or predators by covering it with the free part of the leaf on top. Then fertilization occurs. Sometimes a pair of frogs in love is attacked by a lone male and tries to settle on the back of the female. This strategy is successful, and then the eggs are fertilized by two males at the same time. From evening to morning, the female is able to lay several clutches. Before each egg laying, she and the male descend into the pond for the next collection of water.

Since the muff with eggs is attached to the vegetation hanging over the reservoir, the hatching tadpoles fall directly into the water. Some of them may end up on land. They have a chance to survive if within the next 20 hours it will rain and washes them into a puddle. Embryos in eggs develop synchronously, but are born within 6-8 days. Some species of wasps and snakes like to dine on jelly-like clutches, so future tadpoles, sensing vibrations or movement, hatch prematurely and fall down.

After a few weeks, they will turn into adult frogs and move up into the trees on their own. The amphibian becomes sexually mature at the age of 1-2 years, depending on the quantity and quality of food consumed. Body length does not exceed 5 cm. Females are larger than males.

Depending on your mood or environment the frog is able to change the intensity of its color. Life expectancy of red-eyed tree frogs wildlife about 5 years, although in captivity they can live longer.

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 tropical forests Central America and the presence of their favorite crickets, standing first in 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 available to them to protect themselves is to use their bright color 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 practically invisible to snakes, spiders, bats and birds.

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

Red-Eyed tree frog(red-eyed tree frog) is considered one of the most popular representatives of the frog world, which exotic lovers have at home. The tree frog has a light green body color with stripes on the sides of blue color, and there are also white inclusions. However, the frog tends to change its hue to match the tone of the nature around it. The most noticeable characteristic feature The amphibian's eyes are bright red. It was thanks to them that it acquired its name.

If all the necessary nuances of keeping frogs are observed, owners will not have any difficulties. Such pets show their activity in the evening. Because of their ability to change color, watching frogs will be interesting for all residents of the house. Depending on the background, the red-eyed tree frog, the photo of which is presented below, can change its color from green to dark brown at the moment when it hunts for its prey.

The Red-eyed Tree Frog is great for all owners, whether an experienced breeder or a beginner. They first got such a pet in the late 80s. Brought exotic inhabitant terrarium from Honduras.

Appearance

The red-eyed tree frog is related to the average representatives of frogs, the size of which varies from 2.5 to 5 cm. The territory of origin is considered rainforests, located in southern Mexico, as well as Central America. They are most active in dark time days. Tree frogs live only in trees, but during daylight hours they hide in dense vegetation.

The size of adult tree frogs generally ranges from 2.5 to 4 cm in length. The sex of a frog can be easily determined by the size of the individual, since females have longer length and weight.

Life expectancy in their natural habitat is not yet thoroughly known, but in captivity they are quite hardy pets. Average duration The lifespan of a red-eyed tree frog in a terrarium is 10 years, but provided all the necessary nuances are provided, such pets can please their owners a little longer.

Features of the terrarium

The red-eyed tree frog, whose maintenance does not require special conditions, will thrive in an ordinary glass terrarium intended for reptiles. Special terrariums for frogs can be purchased at pet stores; they are very easy to clean, have excellent thermal conductivity, and maintain humidity at the desired level.

A terrarium with a volume of 75 liters is best suited for an adult. This type of housing can accommodate 3 to 4 red-eyed tree frogs. If you use a smaller terrarium volume, your pets may get injured when they hit the glass when jumping.

Young animals can be placed in a smaller area, but they grow up quite quickly, and, consequently, housing large sizes will be needed very soon.

Lighting and temperature conditions

Red-eyed tree frogs should be kept at a warm temperature throughout the day. Where the terrarium is located, the temperature should be no more than + 28 C, best of all it will be in the range from + 25 to + 28 C, and in the dark the value should drop to + 15 C, however, given that tree frogs It is at night that they are more active; it is best to maintain a warmer night temperature.

If you live in warm countries, in the summer you can do without additional means of heating the terrarium. However, if temperatures are a concern, lower than recommended for tree frogs, the best solution will be the use of additional heat sources.

Heat heaters, incandescent lamps with a power of no more than 60 W, are quite suitable, which will provide the terrarium with softer heat and will not cause drying. Red lamps will also be a good source, which will provide the red-eyed tree frogs with heat for 24 hours.

Red-eyed tree frogs do not need special lighting at home, but a weak ultraviolet lamp will still be useful for pets. Lamps of this type will provide owners best review look after their exotic residents, and also provide the frogs and vegetation with the necessary ultraviolet rays.

Decoration and flooring of the terrarium

Not only should terrarium flooring be easy to clean, but it should also be resistant to mold and mildew. He must also maintain the required level of humidity in the tree frog’s home. Coconut substrates are best suited, namely CocoSoft, EcoEarth and others, in the form of coconut flakes or bricks. As flooring, you can use sphagnum moss and orchid bark, which are sold in special pet stores.

Since red-eyed tree frogs are representatives of arboreal frogs, the terrarium must be arranged in such a way that they can climb various devices. Both living and artificial decorations, vegetation, branches and tree bark should be used. All this will bring you as close as possible red-eyed frogs To natural environment a habitat. About others, be sure to check it out, maybe you will be interested!

Preference should be given to vegetation with large and broad leaves that most closely resemble the plants that surround frogs in their natural environment and also provide them with shelter and a place to sleep. If live vegetation is used, the temperature climate and lighting in the terrarium must be taken into account, since without sufficient light, the plant may die.

Humidity

In the terrarium of a red-eyed tree frog in mandatory There should be a small dish in which fresh water will always be present. Frogs swim quite rarely, but a large volume of water container is necessary to maintain the required level of humidity, even if the temperature is very high and the frog needs to cool down.

In the room with the terrarium, it is necessary to maintain a sufficiently high level of humidity, but, nevertheless, dampness should not be allowed to appear. Basically, in order to provide the necessary humidity, two sprays of water throughout the day are enough. Water should be sprayed on the decorations or on the flooring in the terrarium. It is quite possible to spray water manually or use automatic devices, which will provide the required level of humidity.

Features of feeding

Red-eyed tree frogs prefer insects in their diet, so at home they are quite suitable:

• grasshoppers,
• crickets,
• cockroaches,
• and other food animals.

Sometimes frogs prefer worms, but in most cases they prefer grasshoppers. You can purchase special food intended for frogs living in a terrarium, which looks like canned grasshoppers, previously dried in a special way. However, if possible, feeding can also be done with live food.

All foods included in the frog's diet must be sprinkled with vitamin D3, as well as calcium. Highest value such supplements are for young individuals during their growing up period. They must use this supplement during each feeding, but adult tree frogs can take it much less frequently.

A multivitamin should also be administered, which reptiles need one to two times a week. You should always carefully study the instructions for vitamins and supplements to avoid overdose.

Taming

The red-eyed tree frog, like its closest relatives, in most cases does not tolerate a large number of time with a person. Frogs are harmless and can be handled for short periods of time, but be aware that they are not tame pets. You should know that frogs have sensitive skin and may well absorb toxins coming from our hands, so the animal will experience a lot of stress.

Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas). The species was first described in 1862 by Cope. Latin name species is a derivative of Greek words– kallos (beautiful) and dryas (tree nymph).

The red-eyed tree frog is a slender frog. The eyes are large with a nictitating membrane, the pupils are vertical. The toes are short, with thick pads on which there are suction cups, and are adapted more for climbing than for swimming.

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1. Area: Central and South America(Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize, Colombia, Panama). Habitat: tropical rain forests(lowland and foothills) near water. Inhabits the upper and middle layers of trees. Tree frogs can often be found on the undersides of the leaves of epiphytic plants and vines.

2. Color: main color – green, on the sides and base of the paws – blue with a yellow pattern, toes – orange. The belly is white or cream. The eyes are red. Color color varies within the range. Some individuals have small white spots on the back. Young tree frogs (in Panama) can change their color: daytime they are green and turn purple or red-brown at night. Juveniles have yellow eyes rather than red.

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

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

5. Food: 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.

6. Behavior: leads night look life. Red-eyed tree frogs can swim and 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 a large amount of active peptides (tachykinin, bradykinin, caerulein and demorphin).

7. Reproduction: begins with the first rains at the beginning wet season. Males, competing with each other, sing actively, trying to attract a female. On dry nights, males sing while sitting high on the vegetation; during rain or when ponds are full, they descend to the ground or sit at the base of small bushes and trees. 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 red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) is one of the most popular and beautiful pet terrarium frogs. The body of the red-eyed tree frog is light green with blue stripes on the sides, interspersed with white, although the frog can change its color to blend in with its surroundings. Its most noticeable characteristic feature is its bright red eyes, which give the tree frog its name. Sometimes it is also called the red-eyed jumping frog.

These cute red-eyed frogs are not difficult to keep if you follow all the requirements. They are active at night, so they wake up just in the evening when the whole family gathers at home. They are funny, fun to watch, and especially fun to watch as their colors change. Red-eyed tree frogs can change color while hunting, from light green to dark brown, depending on their environment.

The red-eyed tree frog is an excellent pet terrarium frog, suitable for both beginners and experienced breeders. These frogs first appeared in a home terrarium in the mid or late 80s; they were brought from Honduras. It is believed that there are several species of these frogs.

Origin

The red-eyed tree frog is a medium-sized frog, 2.5 - 5 cm. It comes from tropical forests extreme south of Mexico and Central America. They are most active at night, when they can be seen and heard. They live exclusively in trees, hiding during the day among dense tropical foliage.

An adult red-eyed tree frog is typically 2.5 - 4 cm in length. Females are almost always larger, both in length and mass, so size can be used to determine the sex of a frog.

It is not known how long these frogs live in nature, but they are very hardy when kept in a home terrarium. At the right conditions Maintenance and care of these terrarium tree frogs will delight you for up to 10 years or more. The average lifespan in a terrarium is 10 years.

Terrarium

All standard glass reptile terrariums are ideal for keeping red-eyed tree frogs. Ready-made terrariums for frogs are easy to clean, are available in various sizes, retain heat well and maintain humidity.

The recommended terrarium volume for keeping an adult red-eyed tree frog is 75 liters. In such a terrarium you can keep 3-4 frogs at home. In smaller terrariums, frogs may be injured when they jump and hit the glass.

Young animals can be kept in a smaller container, but they grow quickly, so a larger room will be needed very soon.

Light and warmth

Tropical red-eyed tree frogs should be kept in moderate warm temperatures air during the day. In the room where the terrarium is located, the temperature should not exceed 27°C, optimal temperature in the terrarium 25-28°C. At night the temperature can drop to 15°C, but since they are nocturnal animals, a warmer night environment is recommended.

If you live in warm regions, or in summer months When the temperature is high enough, additional heating may not be needed. However, if temperatures drop below recommended values, an additional heat source is required.

For heating, low-power incandescent lamps, up to 60 W, or heaters that provide soft heat without excessive drying are suitable. Red lamps are great because they can be left on at night to provide warmth to the frogs 24 hours a day.

Specialized full-spectrum lighting is not necessary for red-eyed frogs to thrive in captivity, but low-level ultraviolet (UVB) lamps will be helpful. Such lamps will not only help you observe animals, but will be useful for the living plants planted in the terrarium and will provide the frogs with UV rays.

Substrate and decoration

There are several requirements for the substrate used for the red-eyed tree frog. It must maintain the required level of humidity, but it must also be easy to clean and resistant to mold and mildew. Ideal for these purposes are coconut products such as EcoEarth, CocoSoft and others, pressed into coconut bricks or coconut flakes. Orchid bark or sphagnum moss will also work. All this can be found in specialized stores.

Red-eyed tree frogs are tree frogs and require a variety of climbing devices to crawl around. Branched sticks, tree bark decorations, live and artificial plants must be used to create a comfortable natural environment for frogs. You can recreate a real living tropical corner that will decorate your home.

Choose plants (live or plastic) with large, broad leaves, as these are more consistent with the plants around the frogs in nature, and are suitable for hiding and sleeping. Living plants must be tolerant to high temperatures And high humidity, as well as your lighting conditions. An additional light source may be needed if the plants become stunted.

Water and humidity

The red-eyed tree frog must have a large, shallow dish of water in its terrarium. These frogs rarely swim, but a large surface area of ​​water is needed to increase the environmental humidity in the terrarium and will provide the frogs with an emergency retreat if the temperature gets too high.

The humidity level in the frog room should be moderate to high. However, the room should not become damp. In most cases, two sprays of water per day are sufficient to maintain the required humidity. Water is sprayed from a spray bottle onto the substrate, decorations, walls of the terrarium, etc. You can spray the liquid manually, or you can use automated systems, especially if you are away for an extended period of time.

Feed and feeding

Red-eyed tree frogs are insectivorous frogs, and in captivity will feed on crickets (grasshoppers) and other nutritious insects. Some adult frogs will eat a variety of worms, but most prefer grasshoppers at any age. On sale you can find specialized food for terrarium frogs - canned grasshoppers. These are specially dried grasshoppers that preserve everything nutrients. But you can also feed them with live food, if possible.

Make sure the food items are the right size for the frogs to eat. An adult tree frog can swallow even the largest cricket, but babies need tiny grasshoppers, no more than 0.5 cm long.

All food products are regularly sprinkled with calcium High Quality and vitamin D3. This is especially important for young, growing frogs; they should be supplemented at every feeding. Adult frogs may take this supplement less frequently.

In addition to the calcium supplement mentioned above, reptiles also need a multivitamin. They are given in powder form once or twice a week.

Always read the instructions for use of both calcium and vitamin supplements for proper dosage, as they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Appeal

Like most frogs, red-eyed tree frogs do not tolerate excessive human contact. Although they are harmless and can be touched for a short periods time, these are not tame pets. In addition to the fact that this is severe stress for the animal, the frog sensitive skin, which can easily absorb pathogens or toxins from our hands.