The frog is poisonous. Poison tree frog

Tree frogs, also known as tree frogs, are the most colorful members of the amphibian order - their colors range from yellow and green to red and blue mixed with black. Such a bright range is not just a quirk of nature, it is a signal for predators, warning of danger. Producing a poisonous toxin that can paralyze, stun and kill even a large animal, tree frogs have firmly established themselves in the impenetrable tropical forests of Central and South America, where high humidity and a huge biodiversity of insects allow them to survive for more than 200 million years. Having appeared on Earth at the same time as dinosaurs, frogs demonstrate extraordinary adaptation to the environment - painted in all the colors of the rainbow, they are practically invisible among lush vegetation and inedible for most representatives of the fauna.

- the Amerinds, have long learned to benefit from the poison of poison dart frogs, using it as a deadly substance to lubricate the tips of their hunting darts. Having pierced the frog with a stick, the Indians first held it over the fire, and then collected the droplets of poison that appeared on the skin of the animal into a container, after which they dipped the arrows in a viscous liquid. This is where another name for poisonous tree frogs came from - dart frogs.

Unusual facts from the life of poison dart frogs

• Among the brightly colored 175 species of tree frogs, only three pose a threat to humans; the rest mimic toxicity in their appearance, although they are not poisonous.
• The size of dangerous tree frogs reaches 2-5 cm, with females being larger than males.
• Tree frogs climb trees thanks to the rounded ends on their legs that resemble suction cups. Making circular movements with their limbs, they move quite easily along the vertical plane of a tree trunk.
• Poison dart frogs prefer to live alone, carefully protecting the boundaries of their territory, and only come together during the mating season after reaching 2 years of age.
• Tree frogs acquire their bright colors with age; baby frogs always have a nondescript brown color.
• The frog's body does not produce poison - it adsorbs toxins from small insects. Toxic secretions appear on the skin of an amphibian at the moment of danger and are caused by a specific “diet”, which includes ants, flies, and beetles. Tree frogs raised in captivity, far from their natural habitat and deprived of their usual food, are absolutely harmless.
• Dart frogs are both diurnal and nocturnal, climb the ground and trees, and use a long sticky tongue when hunting.
• The life cycle of tree frogs is 5-7 years, in captivity – 10-15 years.

Yellow poison dart frog

Living in the Andean foothills - in the coastal zones of southwestern Colombia, the most poisonous frog in the world is the terrible leaf climber. ( Phyllobates terribilis ) , prefers growing on rocks 300-600 m above sea level. The leaf litter under the treetops near the pond is a favorite place for the most dangerous vertebrate animal in the world - the yellow-gold tree frog, whose poison can kill 10 people at a time.

The distribution zone of the 1.5 cm strawberry tree frog (Andinobates geminisae), from the family of poisonous leaf climbers, first found in 2011, is the jungle of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. The red-orange palette of the unusual amphibian's body is adjacent to bright blue on the hind legs and black markings on the head. After the dreaded golden leaf frog, the red tree frog is the second most toxic species in the world.

Okopipi blue poison frog

In 1968, the sky-blue tree frog Dendrobatus azureus was first discovered by scientists in the humid tropics. A bright shade of cobalt or azure sapphire with black and white flecks is a classic Okopipi colorway. The poisonous tree frog received its name from local aborigines a long time ago - unlike scientists, the Amerindians have known it for many centuries. The distribution area of ​​​​the unusual vertebrate is the relict tropical forests surrounding the Sipaliwini savanna, stretching through the southern regions of Suriname and Brazil. According to scientists, the blue dart frog was, as it were, “preserved” in this area during the last Ice Age, when part of the jungle turned into a grassy plain. The surprising thing is that Okopipi does not know how to swim like all amphibians, and it gets the necessary moisture in the humid thickets of the tropical forest.

The distribution range of the red-eyed tree frog, Agalychnis callidryas, is quite extensive: from Northern Colombia, through the entire central part of America, to the southern tip of Mexico. This species of amphibian lives mainly in the lowlands of Costa Rica and Panama. The coloring of the “big-eyed” dart frog is the most intense in the family of tailless vertebrates - neon spots of blue and orange are scattered on a bright green background. But the eyes of this amphibian are especially remarkable - scarlet, with a vertical narrow pupil, they help the harmless little frog scare away predators.

In the east of the continent, there is another species of red-eyed frog - Litoria chloris - the owner of a rich light green color with yellow splashes. Both types of tree frogs are not poisonous despite their expressive “outfit” and piercing gaze.

Interesting to know! Many animals have striking colors - warning colors developed during evolution to protect against predators and indicating the toxicity of its owner. As a rule, this is a combination of contrasting colors: black and yellow, red and blue or others, a striped or drop-shaped pattern - even those predators that are naturally color-blind can distinguish such colors. In addition to the catchy color scheme, miniature animals have large eyes that are incommensurate with the size of the body, which in the dark creates the illusion of a large organism. This feature, intended for survival, is called aposematism.

Medical uses of tree frog venom

Scientists' research into the pharmacological use of frog toxins began back in 1974, when the US National Institutes of Health first conducted experiments with dendrobatid and Epidatidine, the main components of tree frog venom. It turned out that in its pain-relieving properties one substance is 200 times superior to morphine, and the other is 120 times superior to nicotine. In the mid-90s, scientists at Abbott Labs. managed to create a synthetic version of epidatidine - ABT-594, which significantly reduces pain, but does not put people to sleep like opiates. The American Natural History Museum team also analyzed 300 alkaloids found in tree frog venom and determined that some were effective in treating neuralgia and muscle dysfunction.

• The largest frog in the world is the goliath (Conraua goliath) from West Africa, its body length (excluding legs) is about 32-38 cm, weight - almost 3.5 kg. The giant amphibian lives in Cameroon and Guinea, on the sandy banks of the African rivers Sanaga and Benito.
• The smallest frog in the world is the tree toad from Cuba, it grows 1.3 cm in length.
• In total, there are about 6 thousand species of frogs in the world, but every year scientists find more and more new species.
• A toad is the same as a frog, only its skin is dry, unlike frogs, and covered with warts, and its hind legs are shorter.
• The frog sees perfectly at night and is sensitive to even the slightest movement; in addition, the location and shape of the eyes allows it to perfectly view the area not only in front and to the sides of itself, but also partially behind.
• Thanks to their long hind legs, frogs can jump a distance of 20 times their body length. The Costa Rican tree frog has membranes between the toes of its hind and front paws - this unique aerodynamic device helps it float in the air when it jumps from one branch to another.
• Like all amphibians, frogs are cold-blooded - their body temperature changes in direct proportion to environmental parameters. When the air temperature drops to a critical level, they burrow underground and remain in suspended animation until spring. Even if 65% of a tree frog's body is frozen, it will survive by increasing the concentration of glucose in its vital organs. Another example of vitality is demonstrated by the Australian desert frog - it can survive without water for about 7 years.

New species of frogs and toads found in the world

A new species of golden tree frog was recently discovered in the highlands of western Panama. Scientists were able to spot the amphibian in dense foliage due to an unusual loud croaking sound, unlike any previously studied. When zoologists caught the animal, a yellow pigment began to appear on its paws. There was a fear that the discharge was poisonous, but after a series of tests, it turned out that the bright yellow mucus did not contain any toxins. A strange feature of the frog helped the scientific team come up with its scientific name - Diasporus citrinobapheus, which conveys the essence of its behavior in Latin. Another new species of poisonous frog, Andinobates geminisae, was found by scientists in Panama (Doroso, Colon province), in the upper reaches of the Rio Caño River. According to experts, the neon orange frog is on the verge of extinction, since its habitat is extremely small.

On the island of Sulawesi near the Philippine archipelago, a scientific team discovered the existence of a large number of clawed frogs - 13 species, 9 of which were hitherto unknown to science. Differences are observed in the body size of amphibians, the size and number of spurs on the hind legs. Due to the fact that this species is the only one on the island, nothing prevents it from breeding and reproducing, unlike its relatives in the Philippines, where clawed tree frogs compete with another species - amphibians of the Platymantis family. The rapid increase in the number of island anurans clearly demonstrates the correctness of Charles Darwin's concept of adaptive distribution, described by the example of finches from the Galapagos archipelago.

Biodiversity of frogs on Earth

• Vietnam. About 150 species of amphibians are common here; in 2003, 8 new species of frogs were found in the country.
• Venezuela. The exotic state is sometimes called the “lost world” - many table mountains, difficult to reach for researchers, are distinguished by endemic flora and fauna. In 1995, a group of scientists undertook a helicopter expedition to the Sierra Yavi, Guanay and Yutaye mountains, where 3 species of frogs unknown to science were found.
• Tanzania. A new species of tree frog, Leptopelis barbouri, has been discovered in the Ujungwa Mountains.
• Papua New Guinea. Over the past decade, 50 unstudied species of tailless amphibians have been discovered here.
• Northeastern regions of the USA. Habitat of the rare spider-like toad.
• Madagascar. The island is home to 200 species of frogs, 99% of which are endemic - unique species not found anywhere else. The scientists' latest find, the narrow-mouthed toad, was discovered through a study of the soil and foliage of the jungle, during which they were able to identify the amphibian's excrement.
• Colombia. The most outstanding discovery of scientists in this region is the species of tree frog Colostethus atopoglossus, which lives only on the eastern slopes of the Andes, in El Boquerón.

Argentina, Bolivia, Guyana, Tanzania and many other countries with a tropical climate and difficult landscapes are regions where scientists are constantly finding new subspecies of animals, including tailless amphibians - frogs. Possessing miniature sizes, arboreal representatives of the amphibian order are not only the smallest, but also the most dangerous animals in the world - modern zoologists are increasingly convinced of this.

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Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas). The species was first described in 1862 by Cope. The Latin name of the species is a derivative of the 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.

(Total 13 photos)

1. Habitat: Central and South America (Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize, Colombia, Panama). Habitat: tropical rain forests (lowland and submontane) 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: they are green during the day 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 (including bats). The eggs are hunted by cat-eyed snakes (Leptodeira septentrionalis), wasps (Polybia rejecta), monkeys, fly larvae Hirtodrosophila batracida, etc. The eggs are affected by 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: nocturnal. 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 of the 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 is native to South and Central America: Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama and Colombia.

The species was described by Cope in 1862. The Latin name for the red-eyed tree frog translates to “beautiful tree nymph.”

Description of the red-eyed tree frog

Females are larger than males: the body length of females reaches 7.5 centimeters, and males - no more than 5.6 centimeters.

The red-eyed tree frog has a slender build. The body is covered with smooth skin. The main color of the body is green; on the sides of the body and on the base of the paws there is a blue color with a yellow pattern. The belly is cream or white, and the toes are orange. The coloration of red-eyed tree frogs can vary within their range. Certain individuals have small white spots on the back of the body.

The fingers are short and have pads at their tips, which is why red-eyed tree frogs climb more often than swim. The head is round in shape, the eyes are large red with vertical pupils. The eyes are protected by a nictitating membrane that prevents dust from entering.

It is noteworthy that in Panama, young individuals are able to change color: during the day their bodies are green, and at night they become red-brown or purple. The eyes of young animals are not red, but yellow.

The red-eyed tree frog is also called the “tree nymph.”

Lifestyle of red-eyed tree frogs

The main habitats of these tree frogs are foothill and lowland tropical forests, which most often grow on the banks of water bodies. These tree frogs live in the middle or upper tier of the forest, and settle there on vines and leaves of plants.

Tree frogs are nocturnal, and during the daytime they sleep on the bottom of leaves, hiding from predators. When the tree frog is resting, a transparent membrane covers its eyes, but the frog can see. If she is in danger, she instantly opens her eyes and confuses the predator with her bright red color. These seconds are enough for the frog to instantly hide.

The main enemies of red-eyed tree frogs are snakes (mostly parrot snakes), small mammals, birds and tree lizards. The average lifespan of a red-eyed tree frog is 3-5 years.

The bright color of the red-eyed tree frog repels predators.

Tadpoles are eaten by fish, turtles and various arthropods. And caviar is a food source for wasps, cat-eyed snakes, fly larvae, monkeys and other living organisms. In addition, the eggs die from the effects of a fungal infection.

Red-eyed tree frogs, like other frogs, are carnivores. They feed on a variety of beetles, mosquitoes, flies, spiders, lepidoptera, frogs and small lizards, meaning they will eat any prey that fits in their mouth.

Red-eyed tree frogs are capable of swimming, they have a good sense of touch and parabolic vision. At night, the tree frog wakes up, stretches and yawns.

Although red-eyed tree frogs have intimidating bright colors and are non-venomous, their skin contains a large number of different peptides: caerulein, tachykinin and bradykinin.

Red-eyed tree frogs are actually non-poisonous frogs.

Reproduction of red-eyed tree frogs

During the wet season, with the arrival of rains, tree frogs begin to reproduce. Peak activity occurs in May-November. Mature males have resonator sacs, which allows them to produce loud sounds.

Listen to the voice of the red-eyed tree frog

Competing with each other, males sing, thereby attracting a female. On dry nights they make sounds from plants, and on rainy nights they sing on the ground, sitting at the base of bushes.

When a female approaches a male whose singing has attracted her, several males attack her at the same time. Then the female, with one male sitting on her back, lowers herself into the water and remains in the water for about 10 minutes, absorbing water through her skin. One female lays 30-50 eggs. The eggs are green in color, 3.7 millimeters in diameter, and by the time the larvae emerge, they increase in diameter to 5.2 millimeters. The outside of the eggs is covered with an elastic gelatinous shell, which performs a protective function, since thanks to it the eggs become inconspicuous.

When the eggs are laid, the female returns to the water, where she restores water balance. In one season, the female manages to mate with several partners and make about 5 clutches.

The incubation process takes 6-10 days. If the tadpoles are in danger, for example, a wasp has attacked the clutch, or the pond is flooded, then they emerge several days ahead of schedule. Most often, tadpoles from the same clutch hatch at the same time, and the liquid released from the eggs washes them all into the water.

She can definitely claim to be a princess. The tree frog, or tree frog, is a very cute creature of nature.

Tree frog - tree nymph

The tree frog is also called a tree frog. And literally translated from Latin, she is called a beautiful tree nymph.

What does the tree frog look like, what does it eat and where does it live?

The beautiful tree frog has a green back with an emerald tint and a milky belly. The stripe that runs along the sides can be black or gray-brown. These amazing animals are able to change their color depending on the weather: with a sharp cold snap, the upper part of the tree nymph darkens. They are distinguished by their slenderness, which is unprecedented for frogs, and a significant part of their life is spent in the crown of trees or shady bushes growing on the banks of reservoirs. The largest frog reaches a size of about 40 cm, but in European latitudes small individuals up to 5-7 cm are more common.

These amazing amphibians move with equal dexterity in bodies of water and on land. In addition, they are excellent at moving through trees: they climb over and jump from branch to branch. But such a frog spends almost the entire day in a motionless position, merging with the foliage. At the tips of the tree's fingers there are formations that resemble suction pads. Thanks to this natural “tool,” it can be held on a smooth surface (for example, plastic or glass) for a long time without effort.

With the arrival of darkness, the tree frog begins to hunt. Excellent night vision allows you to easily catch nimble flies and mosquitoes. Green eaters also do not refuse caterpillars, ants and small beetles. The long sticky tongue helps to capture prey. If large food is caught, then the tenacious front paws come to the rescue. And of all types of frogs, only tree frogs can catch an insect while jumping and stay on a branch in time with the help of tenacious fingers.

For normal life, the tree frog definitely needs water treatments: it prefers to swim in the evening. This simple ceremony allows the liquid to penetrate the skin and restore balance in the body.

“Wintering” of the tree frog and its wonderful singing

To survive the winter cold, tree frogs begin searching for shelter already in mid-autumn: they climb into small hollows, cracks in the foundations of buildings, into root voids, and less often burrow into the muddy bottom of slow-flowing reservoirs. After all, she needs reliable shelter to survive the winter weather. These frogs are among the first to wake up, and males begin to wake up a week earlier than females. In the absence of frost, already in mid-March they return to their usual habitat.

The usual way of moving along branches for the red-eyed tree frog is walking on raised paws

Green soloists loudly notify everyone about the beginning of spring.

Listen to the voice of the tree frog

Resonant and very loud singing is available to tree frogs due to the special structure of the resonator located in the throat (in most species of frogs such resonators are located on the sides of the head).

While singing, the skin on the neck turns into a convex ball, and the loud sound resembles the usual quack of ducklings, but at a higher pitch.

Notable singers are males; their distinguishing feature is the golden color of the jaw skin.

Keeping a tree frog at home

Experts say that the common tree frog takes root well in comfortable terrariums.

Thanks to their bright colors and elegant contours, they are always noticeable and aesthetically pleasing. The feeding method is quite simple: the frog is quite happy with the bred fruit flies and varieties of flies.

The red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) is a tailless amphibian from the tree frog family. The species was first described by Cope in 1862. The Latin name of the species is a derivative of the Greek words kallos (beautiful) and dryas (tree nymph).

The red-eyed tree frog is a small animal with large bright red eyes with vertical pupils and a nictitating membrane. The fingers are short, with thick pads, which have suckers that help them move along the leaves.

The red-eyed tree frog is widespread in Central and South America (Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize, Colombia, Panama). Mainly lives in tropical rainforests, near water. Inhabits the upper and middle layers of trees. During the day and during the dry season they hide on the underside of the wide leaves.

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

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

The main enemies are reptiles: snakes (for example, Leptophis ahaetulla parrot snakes), lizards and turtles, birds, small mammals (including bats). The eggs are hunted by cat-eyed snakes (Leptodeira septentrionalis), wasps (Polybia rejecta), monkeys, fly larvae Hirtodrosophila batracida, etc. The eggs are affected by fungal infections, for example Filamentous ascomycete. Tadpoles are preyed on by large arthropods, fish and water fleas.

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.

The red-eyed tree frog is nocturnal. They 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).

Reproduction begins with the first rains at the beginning of the wet season. Mating occurs throughout the season, but is especially frequent in June and October. During this time, males emit aggressive calls to distance other males and calling calls to attract females. The dominant frequency of emitted sounds ranges from 1.5-2.5 kHz. Vocalization begins at dusk and is especially intensified during rain.

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 total number of red-eyed tree frogs in nature is decreasing due to habitat destruction.

Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordates
Class: Amphibians
Squad: Tailless
Family: Tree frogs
Genus: Bright-eyed tree frogs
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