Red-Eyed Tree Frog
Agalychnis callidryas
The icon of the rainforests. The red-eyed tree frog is famous for its bright green coloration, blue-and-yellow flanks, and large scarlet eyes. Nocturnal and strictly arboreal.
Ambiente
Terrestre
Umidade
60 - 80 %
Temperatura diurna
24 - 29 °C
Temperatura noturna
22 - 24 °C
UVB
Ferguson 1-2
UVI
0 - 1 UVI
Descrição da espécie
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Found throughout the dense, warm primary rainforests of Central America, from southern Mexico to Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, and northern Colombia. It inhabits the high branches of broad-leafed evergreen trees and shrubs near slow-moving rivers or temporary rain pools.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Features striking green dorsal skin, which can change shade from light green to darker hues depending on mood and temperature. The flanks are adorned with bright yellow stripes on a deep blue or purple background. The hands and feet have large, orange adhesive discs. Females reach up to 7 cm, while males are more slender and grow to about 5 cm.
Behavior and Habits: Strictly nocturnal and arboreal. During the day, it sleeps flat against the undersides of leaves, hiding its bright colors and red eyes. When disturbed, it flashes its large red eyes, blue sides, and orange feet to startle predators. Males call at night using a vocal sac, creating a distinct "chack" sound.
Morphology: Sexual dimorphism is highly pronounced: adult females are significantly larger and rounder than males, while males are smaller, more slender, and possess vocal sacs to produce mating calls.
Cuidado, criação e companheiros de tanque
Terrarium Setup: Arboreal setup required. Use a vertically-oriented terrarium of at least 45x45x60 cm. Provide a dense arrangement of sturdy broad-leaved plants like Monstera, Philodendron, or Pothos to support the frog during daytime sleep. A drainage layer topped with a moisture-retaining substrate is essential.
Lighting and Heating: Require tropical temperatures of 25–28°C during the day and a night drop to 22–23°C. Provide low to moderate UVB lighting (2–5%) during a 12-hour day cycle to prevent metabolic bone disease.
Humidity and Hydration: High humidity of 80–90% is required, achieved with regular misting. Good ventilation is vital to prevent stagnant air, which can lead to bacterial skin infections. Use clean, dechlorinated or reverse osmosis water.
Feeding and Supplementation: Insectivorous. Feed active insects like crickets or moths at night. Dust all prey with high-quality calcium, vitamin D3, and multivitamin supplements every 2–3 feedings to support bone structure.
Compatibility: Very peaceful and social with their own kind. Can be kept in groups or harems (e.g. one male and three females) in spacious enclosures. The mating calls of males at night can be quite loud.
Health and Common Diseases: Highly susceptible to Red Leg syndrome from poor hygiene. Delicate froglets are prone to rapid dehydration if humidity drops. Avoid feeding oversized insects, which can cause intestinal impaction or stomach prolapse. Do not handle these frogs as skin contact can harm their permeable skin.
Origem e distribuição geográfica
Found throughout the dense, warm primary rainforests of Central America, from southern Mexico to Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, and northern Colombia. It inhabits the high branches of broad-leafed evergreen trees and shrubs near slow-moving rivers or temporary rain pools.
Origem
Extra-Amazônica América do SulAmérica Central e CaribeAmérica do Norte
Perfil anfíbio
- Dieta
- Insectivore
- Strictly insectivorous, preferring flying and climbing insects that match their arboreal lifestyle. A captive diet should include appropriately sized crickets, roaches, and occasionally waxworms or hornworms as treats. All prey items must be gut-loaded and dusted with a high-quality calcium and multivitamin powder, prioritizing vitamin A.
- Expectativa de vida
- 5-12 years
- Tamanho adulto
- 6 cm
- Estilo de vida/Microhabitat
- Arboreal
- Completely arboreal amphibians that require tall, vertically oriented terrariums with plenty of broad-leafed plants and sturdy climbing branches. They thrive in high humidity (70-90%) and warm tropical temperatures ranging from 24-28°C (75-82°F) during the day. Excellent ventilation is just as critical as humidity to prevent stagnant air and bacterial infections.
- Ciclo de atividades
- Nocturnal
- Completely nocturnal, they remain asleep and motionless during the daylight hours to conserve moisture and avoid detection. As the lights go out and humidity rises in the evening, they become highly active, exploring their enclosure and actively hunting for insects. Their large, slit-pupil eyes are perfectly adapted for seeing movement in near-complete darkness.
- Socialidade
- Gregarious
- They are masters of camouflage during the day, tucking their bright feet under their bodies and closing their eyes to appear as green bumps on a leaf. When disturbed, they dramatically flash their large red eyes, orange feet, and blue-and-yellow flanks to startle predators, a tactic known as startle coloration. They are generally peaceful and do well in small groups of the same species.
- Reprodução
- Oviparous
- Breeding is triggered by heavy rains and high humidity typical of the wet season in Central America. Males chorus loudly from vegetation overhanging water to attract females, who then carry the male on their back (amplexus) to lay gel-encapsulated eggs on leaves. After about a week, the eggs hatch and the tadpoles drop directly into the water below to complete their development.
- Toxicidade
- Harmless
- Unlike poison dart frogs, this species is completely non-toxic and relies on startle coloration rather than poison for defense. When disturbed, they suddenly flash their bright red eyes and blue-and-yellow flanks to confuse predators. They do not pose any toxic hazard to humans or other pets.
- Estágio de vida
- Metamorphosis
- Tadpoles hatch from arboreal egg masses and drop into the water below, completing metamorphosis in roughly two months. Newly morphed froglets require immense humidity and a constant supply of pinhead crickets to fuel rapid growth. Adults reach maturity in about one year and are delicate, slender climbers.
- Tolerância de tratamento
- Display only
- Their skin is incredibly thin and highly susceptible to absorbing toxins, oils, and salts from human skin. Handling should be completely avoided unless absolutely necessary for health inspections or transfers. Always use powder-free, wet nitrile gloves if touching them is unavoidable to prevent skin trauma.
- Brumação
- Não obrigatório
- Red-eyed Tree Frogs do not hibernate or brumate. They experience wet and dry seasons in the wild, but captive environments should maintain stable, warm, and humid conditions. Inducing a simulated dry season is only recommended for experienced breeders attempting to trigger reproductive behavior.
- Muda
- Periodic
- Like other amphibians, they shed their skin frequently to remove parasites and maintain permeability. This usually occurs late at night; the frog will contort its body to loosen the old skin before pulling it into its mouth. The shed skin is fully consumed, ensuring no essential nutrients are wasted.
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