Red eyed tree frog is a species that is highly adept in its environment, employing many natural characteristics for survival and feeding. They are a most colorful frog, invoking images taken from posters representative of their world in the rainforest. The red eyed tree frog is a unique and beautiful frog species.
We’ll look at the top 4 unique characteristics here.
Protective Color
The red eyed tree frog’s colors serve as protection from predators. During the day, this nocturnal frog closes one of its three eyelids to camouflage its eyes while still allowing it to see. The red eyed tree frog sleeps on the underside of leaves with its front legs held close to its flanks to hide its blue and yellow stripes. The feet are tucked away underneath its belly to hide their brilliant orange color.
When a predator comes near, the frog will open its eyes and take its legs out from under its belly, revealing all of its spectacular color in a quick flash. This startles the predator, making it take pause long enough for the red eyed tree frog to escape to safety. This is called startle coloration, for obvious reasons.
Holding on Tight
Among the red eyed tree frog characteristics is its innate ability to cling to the underside of leaves. Their amazing feet form a type of suction that is created with the combination of spaces within their toe pads and natural mucus that is formed therein. The female red eyed tree frog’s amazing grip can hold one or more male suitors who attach to her back during mating.
Feeding Frenzy
The red eyed tree frog feeds predominantly on crickets, flies and moths. It sometimes ingests other frogs as well. It is a nocturnal species, so it does its feeding at night. It uses its keen sense of sight and sound to either hunt for prey or wait for it to approach. The red eyed tree frog will spot its prey and flick its tongue quickly out to capture the insect.
Captive Behavior
Red eyed tree frog characteristics in captivity differ only slightly. They are a social species, thriving in environments with two or more other red eyed tree frogs. They are nocturnal, so they should no be disturbed during the day. They should be fed at night, which is their normal feeding time in the wild. If you place insects in the terrarium, you can watch them “hunt” for their food.
