A Drawing by, Alyssa – Age 6

Our regular contributor, Alyssa, has painted this beautiful picture of a Red-Eyed Tree Frog. Check him out!

As you can see from Alyssa’s painting, red-eyed tree frogs are very colorful. In nature, they are bright green, with blue and yellow striped sides. They have orange or red feet, and a dash of blue on their thighs. And, of course, big red eyes.

Let’s discover more fun facts about the red-eyed tree frog (listen and read-along).

Did You Know?

Being green is a defense mechanism for the red-eyed tree frog. This color helps the frog blend in with its leafy habitat. But even if a hungry snake or bird spots the frog, all it has to do is pop open its huge red eyes and YIKES! Along with those flashes of blue and yellow, the predator is momentarily surprised, giving the frog a chance to escape.

The mom red-eyed tree frog lays her eggs on a leaf over-hanging a pond. When the eggs get ready to hatch, all the little tadpoles inside start wriggly really hard. This vigorous movement breaks open the eggs. The tadpoles then slide down the leaf and land in the water below!

The tadpoles feed on tiny insects. As the tadpoles grow, they gradually begin to develop legs. This process is called. ‘metamorphosis.‘ It can take from three weeks to several months for this change to take place.

Once the red-eyed tree frog is fully grown, it will climb onto land and into the trees, where it will live out its life.

Red-eyed tree frogs are great climbers. This is because they have strong legs and large padded feet with numerous suction cups.

Quick Facts About Red-Eyed Tree Frogs

• Scientific Name: Agalychnis callidryas
• Habitat: Lowland tropical rain forests
• Region: Southern parts of Mexico, Central America, and in the northern parts of South America.
• Diet: Moths, grasshoppers, flies, crickets, and other insects.
• Size: 1.5 to 2.75 inches long (3.8 to 7 cm).
• Lifespan: 5 years

What do you think of the red-eyed tree frog? Isn’t it frog-tastic? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section.

Let’s all save the frogs by reducing our pollution and being kind when we spot one.

Happy Save the Frogs Day!

For more fun facts, listen to our podcasts.