The tropical rainforest is home to over fifty percent of the world’s animal and plant species. The rainforest red eyed tree frog is among those. Tropical rainforests located in central and northern South America are home to the red eyed tree frog. These lush acres of forest provide the perfect balance of plant life, insect life and environmental conditions to make it a home in which the red eyed tree frog can thrive.
The red eyed tree frog spends its days on the underside of the leaves in the canopy of the rainforest. The rainforest canopy is the layer of trees that grow beneath the highest emergent layer and are protected more from the sun. The canopy also holds moisture and humidity underneath the leaves, making this the perfect home for the rainforest red eyed tree frog.
There are many predators to the frog in the rainforest. Snakes, birds, bats, owls, spiders and small mammals are the primary enemies of the red eyed tree frog. Other frogs are also a known predator.
As well as providing moisture and sheltering the red eyed tree frog from the sun, this canopy of trees helps conceal the frog from dangerous predators. However, some predators do find the red eyed tree frog during the day while it sleeps. The rainforest red eyed tree frog has natural defenses that help it escape from a lurking predator.
One such defense is called startle coloration. When a predator approaches the rainforest red eyed tree frog, the frog opens its eyes, flashing the predator with a flash of vibrant red. The predator startles, giving the frog just enough time to escape. The red eyed tree frog hops away to safety and once again tucks its bright orange legs underneath, hiding its blue and yellow sides as well. The frog closes one of its three eyelids, which allows it to camouflage the red but still see.
The rainforest is alive with sounds and the red eyed tree frog is one of the most prominent. They are nocturnal, awaking at night to hunt for prey and to mate. Their calls are heard for miles throughout the rainforest. Each frog species has a different call and calls vary by activity. For example, the mating call is quite different from the distress call of the red eyed tree frog.
The rainforest red eyed tree frog has excellent hearing and is able to differentiate between the various calls of its species. They are also able to hear the approach of predators and can warn other frogs by making a distress call.
Rainforest is a beautiful and diverse environment that is vitally important to our world and the world of the red eyed tree frog. The frog can be seen worldwide as the unofficial symbol of the rainforest…for good reason.
