Red-Eyed Tree Frog
Red-eyed tree frogs have bright lime green bodies that sometimes include bright yellow or blue. They have white bellies and throats and their sides are blue with white borders. Their feet are bright red or orange. They have bulging red eyes. They have cup-like footpads that help them to cling to tree trunks and leaves. They are nocturnal and spend their days clinging to leaves in the rainforest canopy, and their nights hunting for insects and smaller frogs.
Their eyes are a defense mechanism called "startle coloration." When the frog closes its eyes, its green eyelids help it to blend in with the leafy environment. If the nocturnal frog is approached while asleep during the day, its suddenly open eyes will momentarily paralyze the predator, providing the frog with a few seconds to escape. Like other amphibians, they start life as a tadpole in a temporary or permanent pond. As adult frogs, they need to stay near water to keep their skin moist. Adult frogs live in the canopy layer of the rainforest, sometimes hiding inside bromeliads (a common plant found in rainforests). They are carnivores and mostly eat insects. They prefer crickets, flies, grasshoppers and moths. Sometimes, they will eat smaller frogs. The tadpoles eat fruit flies and pinhead crickets. Want to Learn More?
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