Rainforest Marvels....Glass Frogs

Photo Source: frogsneedourhelp

Yes you read correctly and you can see from the image these frogs have transparent skin! You can see their tiny inner organs within!

Image Source: www.mudfooted.com

Glass frogs are found in the cloud forests and rainforests of Central and South America, with over a hundred different species identified. As nocturnal amphibians they feed on small insects and spiders. They are tiny and other than their familiar 'cheep' in the dark rainforest night they are hard to find. Compared to other tree frogs Glass frogs have forward facing eyes so they have a better view of that which is in front of them.

Not only are these fabulous little frogs a treasure of the rainforest they have unusual reproductive behavior. The males are inflators - they inflate their throat pouch to call females - their song echoing through the rain/cloud forest. Unlike other frogs that lay their eggs inside water, glass frogs will lay their eggs on the underside of tree leaves along stream edges. In some glass frog species when the female has laid her eggs and the male has fertilized them he will tend to the eggs. They are fighters too and often will defend their eggs from larger predators. Once the jell like substance around the eggs dissolves the tadpoles fall into the stream and swim to the murky waters below where they will complete development, often taking up to a year.

Conservationists tend to view glass frogs as bio-indicators - in other words they are very sensitive to their environment and will show effects of change therein. They are good markers for the health of the rain/cloud forests.

I love glass frogs!