questions [Archive] - sSNAKESs : Reptile Forum

Bencb3

07-21-03, 04:51 PM

i have some txt files of the retf and ill show u em, i got em a while back for a friend, i dont remember what sites i got em off of, here ya go
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ed Eyed Tree FrogRed Eyed Tree Frog
Agalychnis callidryas
Description:
Red Eyed Treefrogs have bright red eyes and are a really bright color of green
with blue and yellow stripped sides. They also have funny looking orange toes.
These are definitely one of the more beautiful species of frogs! (Very
photogenic too!)
Habitat:
This species tends to do better in a community. Tall The Arboreal Tanks are
the best bet for these guys. Oh, and also be sure to provide a means for them
to get out of the water pond if they fall in. While they can swim, providing a
branch or something is generally a good idea.
Read more information on this subject in the Housing Your Pet Frog section.
The temperature should be about 78-85° during the day and about any where from
66 to 77° at night. The humidity should be kept around 80-100%.
(see the Frog Doctor for details on illness prevention.)
Diet:
Like most frogs...they will eat fly's, moths grasshoppers, and possibly other
small frogs. Crickets too! (See my page on Dealing with Crickets for more
info.)
Habits:
These guys are ultra mellow! One time I went to a pet store and there was one
sitting on the cash register!! I thought it was a toy, but then he BLINKED! As
it turns out, they are nocturnal. (That's why their eyes are red! The color
helps them see!) At night they ome out and climb around searching for bugs to
eat for dinner.
Miscellaneous Facts:
Red-eyed tree frogs come from rain forests of Costa Rica in Central America.
While lovely creatures and good breeding pets, I really, really recommend that
this not be a good pet for beginners! They are pretty expensive and fairly
delicate.
Why do they have such bright red eyes? Some believe that it is also a form of
protection called "startle coloration". These frogs tend to be active at
night, so if the frog is awakened in the daytime, as might happen if a
predator chanced upon it despite its excellent day time camouflage, the eyes
pop abruptly open. Since they are suddenly so bright, they startle the
predator, who is likely to pause, if only for a moment. Big eyes staring at
you could be those of an enemy, poised to attack. A moment's hesitation would
be all the agile tree frog would need to make a leap to safety. Similar ruses
are known in other animals. For example, some large moths have equally
dramatic eye-like spots of color on their hind wings. Like the frog, they
sleep in the day, and the camouflage-colored forewings cover the eyespots of
the hind wings. But if such a moth is disturbed, it slides the front wings
forward, suddenly revealing the dramatic eyespots on the hind wings. (thanks
to Robert Madden for these interesting observations)
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Red-eyed Tree Frog

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Red-eyed Tree Frog

Scientific name: Agalychnis calidryas
Family: Hylidae
Order: Anura
Class: Amphibia
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
The average size of Agalychnis callidryas is no more than three inches. The
Red-eyed Tree Frog is usually an extremely bright green with cream and sky blue
along the rib and groin area. The hands and feet are marked with a bright orange
and are also lined with blue and cream. The most recognizable physical
characteristic of Agalychnis callidryas are their bright red eyes.
Agalychnis callidryas has other adaptive features. The long limbs on these frogs
are better suited for climbing than swimming. Another feature is the sucker pads
on the end of each digit. These pads allow the frogs to stick to various objects
and provides better traction on wet leaves and branches. Most of the frogs that
are in the Hylidade family have a third eye lid called a nictitating membrane.
The purpose of this membrane is to shield the frog's sensitive eyes from various
dangers. The lid is often brightly colored and does not completely restrict it's
vision.
DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:
Agalychnis callidryas are found in the neotropical rainforest of central
America. This species of frog is completely arboreal or tree dwelling and they
are excellent jumpers. These frogs rarely descend to the ground and move in a
very stealthy and deliberate manner. They are completely nocturnal.
BEHAVIOR:
Bright markings along the sides and on the limbs function to reduce predation.
Most of the predators that prey on Agalychnis callidryas often rely on their
vision. When the frog moves to avoid the predator the bright colorations come
into view. Because the predator is so locked onto it's target, when these bright
colors flash into view (hence their name, flash colors) they throw off the
predator. This is achieved by leaving a ghost image in the visual field of where
the frog was originally. This confuses the predator and gives the frog time to
hide. In other cases, these bright colors often startle the predator and throws
them completely off. These flash colors are often well hidden and are only shown
when the animal is moving.
DIET:
Red-eyed Tree Frogs are carnivores and their diet consist of any animal that
will fit in their mouths, even other frogs!
BREEDING:
The breeding season of Agalychnis callidryas is during the months of October
through March. The mating ritual consists of males croaking (often all in
unison) trying to attract a female. Many times various males will compete for a
single branch area. They wrestle until one of them falls off the branch. Then
when there is only one male left (all the competition is gone), the male then
latches onto the back of the female with it's legs. From there the breeding
process begins. Once a male has latched onto a female for mating, other males
will try to latch onto the couple. This takes place while the female is holding
onto the underside of a leaf. The female has to support the weight of all the
frogs until they finish their wrestling match and only one is left.
Next, the pair participate in a process called amplexus. In this process the
pair hang up side down under a leaf that is overhanging a water source. The
female supports the entire weight of the pair with her legs and digit pads. She
releases her eggs one at a time then the male fertilizes the eggs. Each batch of
eggs is called a clutch. The female must keep her bladder (this stores the water
to hydrate the eggs) and body well hydrated during this process. The eggs
require a large amount of water for survival, so females rehydrate by descending
from the trees and entering a pool of water.
When the female enters the water, the wrestling continues again. The male that
was latched onto the back of the female runs the risk of getting knocked off
again and must try to hang on. In many cases when the female heads back up to
the leaves she may not have the same mate that she came down with. After this
process is complete the eggs are left to mature. In a few days the eggs hatch
and the tadpoles are released into the water to mature. The water that was in
the eggs helped to expedite the tadpoles exit and also prevented dessication.
The tadpoles then mature in the water and later turn into frogletts. The
frogletts take to the land and head for the trees to continue the rest of their
lives.
Agalychnis callidryas is not endangered nor threatened. The environment that
they live in is shrinking. Many wildlife conservation groups are petitioning to
conserve these areas for the diverse wildlife that they contain.
Suggested Reading:
Mattion, C. 1987. Frogs and toads of the world. Facts on File Publication New
York, NY.
Pyrom, J. 1987. Frogs and Toads: a complete introduction.
Hamlett, L and J. Netherton http://www.nashvillezoo.org/redeye.htm
Tropical Tropical Tree Frogs: http://www.msu.edu/~urquhar5/tour/agalychnis.html

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i hope that helps