Glass Frogs

The Glass Frogs are an interesting species as the viscera of glass frogs can be seen, and the heart can be seen pumping blood into the arteries and food flowing through the intestines. The translucency of the frogs is a form of camouflage in which an animal's edge blends in with the relative brightness or darkness of its surroundings. The line separating the color of a frog's skin from the color of its backdrop is softened by this phenomenon known as edge diffusion. The underside of not all species is transparent. Most glass frogs seem bright green when seen from above. Their patterning resembles glass frog eggs and varies from a uniform green to green with white to yellow dots. Glass frogs have enlarged fingertips that help them climb, allowing them to reside in trees and bushes near forest streams. There are around 120 species of glass frogs in around ten genera (with most species classified in the genera Centrolene, Cochranella, and Hyalinobatrachium). From tropical lowland forests to mid-elevation mountain forests, they can be found. Adults of most species are tiny, measuring 20 to 30 mm (0.8 to 1.2 inches) in total length. Adults of a few species are bigger, reaching about 80 mm in length (3 inches). Males must first call females in order for mating to take place. Calling males perch on the tops or undersides of leaves above streams or lake borders, depending on the species. When a female arrives, she does not accompany the perplexing male to the water. They instead mate on the calling leaf, which is also where she lays her eggs. After she leaves, the male frequently stays behind to safeguard the eggs from predators and to attract more females. Then males will attract other females, resulting in many egg clutches in varying stages of development to defend. The tadpoles tumble into the pond below after they hatch. Until they transition into froglets, tadpoles normally reside and eat among the leaf litter and streamside trash. Frog flies, which deposit their eggs on the egg masses, are one of the main egg predators. The maggots feed on the frog embryos while the flies' eggs develop swiftly.