Amphibious tree frog. Tree frog. Tree frog lifestyle and habitat. Terrarium and decorations

Nycticorax nycticorax see also 5.2.5. Genus Night heron Nycticorax Common tree frog Nycticorax nycticorax Medium-sized heron with big head, relatively short legs and beak. The top of the head and back are black, the wings are rounded, gray, ... ... Birds of Russia. Directory

The next family of mobile-thoracic amphibians are tree frogs, which, in addition to the peculiar pectoral bone belt, which we have already talked about, are distinguished by the presence of teeth in the upper jaw, wide triangular lateral processes ... Animal life

The tree frog family is one of the most extensive families, 416 species of which are grouped into 16 genera. Inhabits Europe, Southwest and South East Asia, North Africa, Australia and adjacent islands, South and North America. Gross… … Biological Encyclopedia

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- (Hylidae), a family of tailless amphibians. Length from 2 to 13.5 cm. Most K. lead an arboreal lifestyle, which led to a special structure of the limbs: the phalanges of the fingers at the ends have complements, intercalary cartilages and suck. disks. Coloring K. ... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

Tree frogs, a family of anurans. Length from 2 to 13.5 cm. About 580 species, in Eurasia, America (tropics) and Australia; common tree frog, or tree frog, in the south of Russia, Ukraine and the Caucasus, 1 species per Far East. Many… … encyclopedic Dictionary

Tree frogs Common tree frog (... Wikipedia

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Includes species of the class Amphibians, common in Russia. Currently, about 30 species have been recorded in Russia. Contents 1 List of species 1.1 Order Tailed (Caudata) ... Wikipedia

tree frog or tree frog (woodweed) is a frog that belongs to the type of chordates, the class of amphibians (amphibians), the tailless order, the tree frog family (lat. Hylidae).

The family received its Latin name due to its unusual colorful appearance. The first researchers compared these unusual animals with beautiful tree nymphs, which was reflected in his verbal definition. Russian concept The “frog” appeared, apparently, due to the characteristic loud voice of an amphibian.

Tree frog (tree frog) - description, structure, characteristics.

Due to the fact that the frog family includes a huge number of species, the appearance of these amphibians is very diverse. Some tree frogs are characterized by a flattened body structure with legs that look like knotted twigs, while other tree frogs have resemblance with small frogs, and in still others the body is flabby, as if slightly swollen. However feature, inherent in almost all species, is the presence on the fingertips of peculiar suction discs covered with a thin layer of mucus.

Due to the vacuum that forms under the surface of the disks as a result of the displacement of air from under them, the tailless tree frog easily moves not only along the trunks, branches and leaves of plants, but also along any smooth surface, including vertical ones. Large trees in the process of moving along steep planes can help themselves with the moist skin of the abdomen or throat. However, there are species of tree frogs with an underdeveloped ability to suck. It is compensated by the special structure of the fingers on the hind and fore limbs, resembling a human hand with a thumb extended. Such frogs slowly climb trees, alternately grabbing branches.

The color of tree frogs depends on the species and can be very diverse. Most of them have a camouflage color in green or brownish tones with various stains, which helps the frog to easily hide among twigs and leaves. However, there are species of tree frogs that have a bright color with contrasting stripes or spots.

Frog eyes big size and protrude slightly forward, thanks to this, binocular coverage of the environment is achieved, allowing them to successfully hunt and jump from branch to branch. Most amphibians are characterized by horizontal pupils, although there are species in which they are located vertically.

Sexual dimorphism in woodworts is manifested in the difference in size between males and females, which are much larger than males, and sometimes in color. In addition, the male tree frog has special body, called the throat bag, when inflated, it makes sounds.

Where does the tree frog (tree frog) live?

The distribution range of tree frogs captures temperate zone Europe, including Poland, the Netherlands, Norway and Lithuania, Belarus and Romania, central part Russia and Moldova, as well as Ukraine. Numerous species tree frogs live in Northern and South America, China and Korea, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan and Egypt, Turkey, Japan, Primorye and Australia. The habitat of these amphibians is humid tropical and subtropical forests, broad-leaved and mixed stands, as well as the coast of reservoirs or slow rivers, wetlands and overgrown ravines.

What do tree frogs (tree frogs) eat?

The food of tree frogs is varied: tree frogs feed on various, and, as well as and. Amphibians usually go hunting at night. They lie in wait for prey and trap it using their vision and long, sticky tongue.

Types of tree frogs (tree frogs) - photos and names.

The numerous family of tree frogs is divided into 3 subfamilies, which include more than 900 species. The most famous and interesting of them:

Subfamily Hylinae:

• widespread along the coasts of shallow water bodies or slow rivers, in flooded ditches and wetlands in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. The size of an adult male tree frog does not exceed 1.9 cm, and females - 3.8 cm. The skin of the back and sides, covered with warts, is gray-brown in color with yellowish-green hues and dark spots of an indefinite shape. Abdomen tree frog they are decorated with bright green or brown stripes, and on the elongated muzzle a dark spot in the form of a triangle located between the eyes is clearly visible. The hind limbs of the amphibian are relatively short with long fingers connected by a swimming membrane. The sounds of the male tree frog during the breeding season are reminiscent of the knocking of small stones against each other. These amphibians lead an active daily lifestyle. In case of danger, they can jump up to 0.9 m high.

• Cricket tree frog (lat.Acris gryllus) lives in North America near small reservoirs, wet ravines overgrown with dense grassy vegetation, as well as swampy streams and river sources. The skin of the tree frog, devoid of warts, is brown or gray-brown with dark, almost black spots, which are bordered by a light green rim. In females, it is clearly visible White spot on the neck. hallmark This type of tree frog is the ability to change color, adapting to the environment. The fingers of the long hind limbs of the frog are interconnected by a swimming membrane. The body length of adult females can reach 33 mm, and males - 29 mm. The lifespan of a cricket tree frog vivo rarely exceeds 1 year. Treeworts lead a solitary lifestyle, gathering in large clusters only during the breeding season. Due to the similarity of the frog's voice with the roulades of crickets, the name "cricket tree frog" appeared.

• lives in damp tropical forests South America, included in the ecological system of the Amazon basin. These frogs can be found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Suriname, Peru, Guiana, as well as Ecuador and Bolivia. The size of the females of this species of frogs can be 5 cm, but the males have more modest dimensions. The head of a frog with large bulging eyes is slightly expanded compared to the elongated narrow body. Long fingers on the hind and fore limbs end in well-developed suckers. The color of the skin of the back and sides of the piebald tree frog is quite diverse and can be from greenish-brown to red with brown tint. On the main tone, patterns of white spots or stripes are clearly visible, creating characteristic mesh patterns. The belly of piebald tree frogs is painted in a bright red-orange color. Solitary individuals spend the bulk of their lives on trees, descending from them only during the breeding season. Pied tree frogs are most active during twilight and night hours.

• lives in the forests and forest-steppes of Poland, the Netherlands, Belarus, Norway, Lithuania and Ukraine, the USA, Korea, Turkey and Japan, the states of northwestern Africa, China and Primorye. The sizes of adult female frogs reach 53 mm, males are slightly smaller. The grassy-green, brown, bluish or dark gray coloration of the back and sides of the tree frog can easily change in accordance with the basic color of the environment or due to the physiological state of the animal. The belly of the common tree frog is white or yellowish. The coloration of the back and abdomen is clearly separated by a dark stripe running along the sides of the body and head. Tree frogs spend ordinary daytime hours among the foliage of shrubs or trees, and at twilight and at night they hunt insects. AT natural conditions these frogs live no more than 12 years.

• widely distributed in southern North America. Prefers tree or shrub thickets along the coast of natural and artificial reservoirs, as well as wet ravines or wetlands. The body of the frog is slender, with a triangular head. Its length in adult females can reach 60 mm. The eyes of a tree frog are medium in size, slightly protruding, golden brown in color, with vertical pupils. The smooth skin of the back is painted in a grassy green color and is separated from the beige abdomen by a thin white stripe. At the ends of the fingers of the hind and fore limbs of the frog there are suction cups, with the help of which the tree frog easily moves not only along the branches and leaves, but also on the surface of the earth. The amphibian leads a solitary lifestyle, gathering in large communities only during mating. Shows activity at night. The life expectancy of a frog in natural conditions can reach 6 years.

• is a typical inhabitant of the forest thickets of North America. The length of the baggy body of a frog can reach 7 cm in females and 5 cm in males. The yellowish belly contrasts with the back, which is painted green, on which the pattern formed by dark green spots is clearly visible. Finger suckers are quite large. The tree frog got its name from the barking sounds that male frogs make during the mating season. Most barking tree frogs spend their lives among the branches, high above the ground, however, there are individuals who prefer to live near water bodies. Amphibians are active at night, and during the day they sleep off, hiding in the hollow of a tree or on the ground under fallen bark. Barking tree frogs form short-term pairs only for the continuation of offspring. Under natural conditions, frogs live 7 years.

• lives in mixed or deciduous forests of Mexico, Canada or the USA. Populations of these amphibians are noted near artificial or natural reservoirs and deep damp ravines. The sizes of frogs do not exceed 51 mm. The color of the wrinkled skin of the back can be either gray with a beige tint or green, and the belly can be white. On the back of the tree frog, a pattern in the form of an oblique cross of black stripes clearly appears, which borders barely noticeable spots of an indefinite shape. It is noteworthy that depending on the temperature environment, humidity and season, the color of the variable tree frog can vary greatly. The average life expectancy of changeable tree frogs does not exceed 6 years.

• Cuban tree frog (lat.osteopilus septentrionalis) - This is the largest tree frog in the world. It lives in shrubs and woody thickets near water bodies. The distribution area includes the Bahamas and Cayman Islands, Cuba and the southern states of the United States. The average size of these frogs ranges from 11.5 to 12.5 cm, however, individual individuals can reach 15 cm in size, which makes them the largest tree frogs in the family. The color of the skin of the back, covered with tubercles, is slightly different in males and females. So, for females of tree frogs, beige or green tones are characteristic, and for males - brown. On the paws of the tree frog, transverse stripes of a lighter or darker color are visible. The suckers on the fingers are well developed. The Cuban tree frog hunts at night, sleeping during the day among the bushes.

Subfamily Australian tree frogs or litoria (lat. Pelodryadinae):

• coral-fingered litoria or Australian white tree frog (lat.Litoria caerulea) lives in subtropical forests Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia. Sizes of adult females reach 130 mm, while males rarely exceed 70 mm. The head of the Australian tree frog is short and broad, with large, bulging eyes with a horizontal pupil. The skin of the frog is colored in various shades of green, but can be chestnut or turquoise, with white or golden spots. The belly is colored pinkish or White color. Inner part the legs of a tree frog may have a red-brown color. In addition to suction cups, amphibians have small membranes on their fingers. The Australian white tree frog is nocturnal. The life expectancy of coral-toed litorium in natural conditions can reach 20 years.

SubfamilyPhyllomedusinae:

• lives on the upper tiers of low-lying and foothill wet rainforest Central and South America. The sizes of adult males rarely reach 5.4-5.6 cm, and females do not exceed 7.5 cm. The surface of the skin is smooth. The back of the frog is colored green, and the belly is cream or white. The sides and bases of the limbs are blue, with a distinct yellow pattern. The toes of tree-climbing limbs are bright orange and have suction pads. characteristic feature red-eyed tree frog are red eyes with a vertical pupil. Despite its bright color, these tree frogs are not poisonous. They are most active at night. The maximum lifespan of the red-eyed tree frog in natural conditions does not exceed 5 years.

The world's largest and smallest tree frog (tree frog).

The smallest "forest nymphs" are Litoria microbelos with a body length of up to 16 mm and the tree frog Hyla emrichi (Dendropsophus minutus), which has a body size of only about 17 mm. It is noteworthy that this baby is capable of jumping up to 0.75 m in length, which is almost 50 times the length of its body.

The largest tree frog in the world is the Cuban tree frog (lat. Osteopilus septentrionalis), growing up to 150 mm.

In addition to the above types of tree frogs, there are a huge number of varieties of tree frogs, the color of which is simply amazing:

Chaka phyllomedusa Phyllomedusa sauvagii

• Class: Amphibia = Amphibians
• Order: Anura Rafinesque, 1815 = Tailless amphibians (amphibians)
• Family: Hylidae Gray, 1825 = tree frogs, tree frogs
• Genus: Acris Dumeril et Bibron = Cricket tree frogs

Family Tree frogs (Hylidae)

The tree frog family (Hylidae) is one of the most extensive families, 579 species of which are united in 34 genera.

Inhabits Europe, Southwest and South East Asia, North Africa, Australia and adjacent islands, South and North America. The vast majority of amphibians belonging to the tree frog family have expanded discs at the ends of the fingers, which contribute to the adhesion of the animal when moving along vertical planes. These discs are rich in lymphatic spaces and mucous glands. Attachment to the substrate is stronger, the less air between it and the disk. Special muscles allow the discs to become flatter and more tightly pressed against the surface on which the animal moves. Usually attachment to the substrate is also due to the skin of the belly and throat.

The genus Hyla, the most extensive in terms of the number of species of all genera in the class of amphibians, belongs precisely to the family of tree frogs. It combines the tree frogs proper, or woodworts, belonging to 450 various types a wide variety of sizes - from 17 to 135 mm. Its representatives are distributed in all parts of the world, except for tropical Asia and Africa. Tree frogs are especially numerous in South America and Australia.

Tree frogs from the genus Phyllomedusa live in Central and South America (30 species). From above, they are always painted green. The same parts of the body that are not visible in a sitting position are often bright: orange, red and purple. Phyllomedusa are usually thin and look hungry. They all have a short, blunt nose and huge eyes, to which the whitish iris gives a mysterious expression. Eyes appear completely black at night due to wide open pupils. All phyllomedusa have true prehensile paws, due to the fact that the first finger of the fore and hind limbs can be opposed to the rest. On level ground they run like toads at a pace, but on outstretched legs, so that the belly is raised 1-2 cm from the ground. They do not go into the water of their own free will, they are very helpless in it and strive to get out as soon as possible. Swimming membranes are poorly developed or completely absent. Weakly developed and pads at the ends of the fingers, contributing to sticking. They live in the crown tall trees and perfectly climb thin twigs and leaves. They are able to jump, but jumping is uncharacteristic for them. According to the peculiarities of movement, phyllomedusa resemble chameleons. Their movements are slow, smooth and careful. For a long time, the phyllomedusa probes the air with its front leg until it finds a branch that it grabs, then the animal pulls up the opposite hind leg and again stretches forward with its other harmful paw. It is impossible to tear off a phyllomedusa from a branch without damaging its leg. All representatives of this genus lead a nocturnal or twilight lifestyle. The motionless phyllomedusa seizes its prey with a quick throw of a long, sticky tongue.

Even for laying eggs, these animals do not go into the water. She is a leaf is wrapped or deposited between two or more sheets, sticking together due to the sticky shells of the eggs. For example, a female Ph. hypochondrialis, carrying a male on its back, climbs a leaf hanging over the water. Then the male and female hold the close edges of the leaf with their hind legs. In the tube thus formed, the female lays eggs, and the male fertilizes them. Then the animals crawl away a little further, and this continues until the entire leaf is filled with caviar. Approximately 100 eggs laid by one female. Placed in two leaves. The eggs are very large and rich in yolk. Development is happening quickly. On the 3rd day, external gills appear in the embryo, on the 5th; they reach their maximum development, and by the time the tadpole hatches, they atrophy. The hatched tadpole, transparent as glass, on which only very large green eyes with a metallic sheen are visible, falls into the water, where it completes its development. Six weeks after spawning, the larva reaches 80 mm in length; from above it is a brilliant green color, from below it is silvery, pink-red. By the end of the transformation, the young animal already reaches 2/3 of the length of its parents. They breed in January.

Representatives of another genus of marsupial tree frogs (Gastrotheca, 20 species) appearance not much different from real tree frogs (Hyla), but they are extremely interesting way care for offspring. Females of this species have a special skin pocket on their backs - a brood pouch in which they hatch eggs. http://www.floranimal.ru/families/2267.html

She definitely deserves the title of princess. The tree frog, or tree frog, is a very cute creature of nature.

Frog tree frog - tree nymph

The tree frog is also called the tree frog. And in literal translation from Latin, she is called a beautiful tree nymph.

What it looks like, what it eats and where the tree frog lives

The beautiful tree frog has a green back with an emerald overflow and a belly of a milky color scheme. The stripe that runs along the sides can be black or gray-brown. These amazing animals are able to change their color depending on the weather: with a sharp cold snap top part tree nymph darkens. They differ in harmony, unprecedented for frogs, and a significant part of their life passes in the crown of trees or shady bushes growing on the banks of reservoirs. The most big frog reaches a size of about 40 cm, but in European latitudes, small individuals up to 5-7 cm are more common.

These amazing amphibians move with equal dexterity in water bodies and on land. In addition, they are excellent at moving through trees: they climb and jump from branch to branch. But such a frog spends almost the whole day in a motionless position, merging with the foliage. At the fingertips of the woodworm there are formations that resemble suction pads. Thanks to this natural “tool”, she can long time to be held without effort on a smooth base (for example, on plastic or glass).

With the advent of darkness, the tree frog begins to hunt. Excellent night vision makes it easy to catch nimble flies and mosquitoes. Green eaters do not refuse caterpillars, ants and small beetles. A long sticky tongue helps to capture prey. If large food is caught, then tenacious front paws come to the rescue. And out of all types of frogs, only tree frogs can catch an insect during a jump and stay on a branch in time with the help of tenacious fingers.

For normal life, the tree frog definitely needs water procedures: she prefers to swim in the evening. This simple ceremony allows the liquid to penetrate the skin and restore balance in the body.

"Wintering" of the tree frog and its wonderful singing

In order to survive the winter cold, already in the middle of autumn, tree frogs begin to seek shelter: they climb into small hollows, cracks in the foundations of buildings, into root voids, less often burrow into the muddy bottom of slow-flowing reservoirs. After all, she needs a reliable shelter to survive the winter weather. These frogs wake up one of the first, and the males begin to wake up a week earlier than the females. In the absence of frost, already in mid-March, they enter their usual habitat.

Green soloists loudly notify everyone about the beginning of spring.

Listen to the voice of the tree frog

Voiced and very loud singing is available to tree frogs thanks to special structure a resonator located in the throat (in most species of frogs, such resonators are located on the sides of the head).

During singing, the skin on the neck turns into a convex ball, and the loud sound resembles the usual quacking of ducklings, but with a higher pitch.

Notable singers are males, their hallmark is the golden color of the jaw skin.

Keeping a tree frog at home

Experts say that the common tree frog takes root perfectly in comfortable terrariums.

Due to the bright coloring and elegance of the contours, they are always visible and aesthetically pleasing. The method of feeding is quite simple: the frog is quite satisfied with the bred fruit flies and varieties of flies.

Tree frogs, or tree frogs, are called frogs that live on trees. On the one hand, they are close to real frogs, leading a terrestrial lifestyle. On the other hand, they are closely related to poison dart frogs - extremely poisonous amphibians. The harmless tree frogs themselves stand out in a separate family, in which there are 901 species. It should be noted that the classification of these amphibians is complicated by confusion in the names. The exact division into frogs, tree frogs and tree frogs exists only in Russian scientific literature, while in European languages there is the concept of a frog (ordinary) and tree frogs (they mean tree frogs and poison dart frogs).

Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas).

In connection with such a specific way of life among tree frogs, animals of small size predominate. The smallest of them, miniature litoria, reaches a length of only 1.6 cm, the largest long-legged litoria grows up to 13.5 cm. The body shape of tree frogs can also be different. Some species have a massive, flabby body, others look like neat tiny frogs, while others have a flattened body, and the paws look like broken sticks. However, all tree frogs are united common feature- the ends of the fingers and they are flattened and similar in shape to small disks. Such fingers act as suction cups and hold the tree frog on the smooth surface of the leaves. The suction force of the disks is so great that tree frogs can hold without the slightest effort not only on horizontal and inclined surfaces, but even on vertical ones (for example, on the glass of a terrarium) or upside down. Most large species in addition to fingers, the wet surface of the abdomen and throat is involved in suction.

Australian white tree frog, or coral-toed litoria (Litoria caerulea).

The coloring of tree frogs is very diverse. Among them are nondescript individuals, decorated with brownish stains that imitate bark or fallen leaves; there are species with contrastingly colored abdomen and legs (red, blue, orange, striped).

The beautiful narrow-mouthed tree frog (Microhyla pulchra) fully justifies its name: its body is covered with the finest stains, similar to a tree cut or noble marble.

But for the most part, tree frogs have a green color, which perfectly camouflages them among the branches and lush foliage. Interestingly, the same individual can noticeably change its shade depending on the air temperature and mood. For example, the pallor of the common tree frog indicates that it is cold, and the darkening is a sign that it is angry. Sexual dimorphism in these amphibians is noticeable: males are 1.5-2 times smaller than females, and in some species they are also colored differently.

Triangular tree frog (Hyla leucophyllata).

Since tree frogs are closely associated with the upper tiers of the forest, they live mainly in the tropics, where plants develop. all year round. The greatest species diversity is reached in the humid forests of the South and Central America and also in Australia. in Africa and North America there are few of them, and in Asia and Europe only one species lives. The northernmost representatives are the common tree frog ( Western Europe, Belarus, Western Ukraine, European part Russia), Far East (Korea, Japan, Northern China, Primorye), royal (western USA) and whistling (Canada, eastern USA) - hibernate for the winter. Other species are active all year round.

By time daily activity tree frogs are divided into nocturnal and diurnal species, both of which have a rare feature for amphibians - binocular vision. The eyes of tree frogs are large and directed slightly forward, due to which the same area falls simultaneously into the field of view of the right and left eyes. This allows them to high precision determine the distance to prey or a neighboring branch, so that they make error-free jumps.

The third eyelid of the red-eyed tree frog looks like an openwork mesh, which allows it to see around even with half-closed eyes.

Frogs have mastered the art of balancing to perfection. They can not only stick to flat surfaces, but also sit on thin branches, wrapping their fingers around them, like birds. If necessary, they step from leaf to leaf, alternately moving their limbs. In case of danger or in pursuit of prey, they can jump up to 75 cm. In order to climb vertically, tree frogs need to turn on and off the stickiness of their fingers in turn. This function is regulated by the production of mucus and the force of pressing the finger against the leaf. The exception is phyllomedusa. In these tree frogs, the discs are very poorly developed, but one toe on the paw is opposed to the rest (like in humans). Such a grasping type of limb makes these amphibians look like chameleons, and their gait is the same: the phyllomedusa moves very slowly and carefully, thinking for a long time before grabbing onto the next branch. But her grip strength is so huge that a person is able to tear this tree frog from a branch only by breaking her paw.

The red-eyed tree frog's habitual way of moving along the branches is walking on raised paws.

It is not easy for tree frogs to develop relationships with water. The most primitive species (for example, the common tree frog) are excellent swimmers and, in general, spend a lot of time on the ground like real frogs. highly specialized tropical species often visit water bodies only during the breeding season, and phyllomedusas do not know how to swim at all and in every possible way avoid open water bodies!

Orange-sided phyllomedusa (Phyllomedusa tomopterna).

The voices of these amphibians are loud, but they sound different. In an ordinary tree frog, the song is similar to a duck “cre-cre-cre,” in a pearl tree it is like a melodic bird trill, in a giant litorium it is like a dog barking (in case of danger, a meow), in a slender tree frog it is like a slap with an oar in the water, red - to the creak of a knife on glass, and the blacksmith tree frog is named so for its voice, reminiscent of a hammer on metal.

The diet of tree frogs consists of 98% invertebrates, of which 15-20% are flying insects. They prey on butterflies, ants, termites, cockroaches, crickets, psyllids and leaf beetles. Less common are caterpillars, snails, geckos, and tiny frogs.

They breed 1-2 times a year. Like all amphibians, the development of embryos in tree frogs can occur only in aquatic environment. But how to provide it in the crowns of trees? This problem different types decided in their own way. tree frogs middle lane, where the humidity in the forest is not very high, they do not disdain to take a walk to the nearest pond or river on this occasion. Here they spawn, after the tadpole stage young tree frogs leave water bodies.

Tadpole of common tree frog (Hyla arborea).

Tropical species enjoy the gifts of nature, laying eggs in the axils of leaves and large flowers where rain moisture always accumulates. In these micro-reservoirs, the development of juveniles takes place. The Brazilian tree frog has learned to create such pools for fry herself. To do this, she finds a hollow and coats it with resinous secretions, which provide ideal waterproofing. After that, it remains only to wait for the first downpour, which will fill the hollow with water and turn it into a cradle for eggs. Some of the tree frogs lay their eggs directly on the surface of the leaves, where they are all the time. A transparent sticky mucus that retains water helps them not to dry out. This mucus is so effective that banana tree frogs have caviar extracted from it and placed in clean water, perishes.

Mating and clutch formation in red-eyed tree frogs.

The male frog frog takes care of the offspring in a very unusual way. When a female responds to his calling cry, he fertilizes her eggs and ... continues to flirt. Soon, another chosen one appears, which also lays eggs in the same place. But the male no longer fertilizes the second portion of eggs. These eggs are destined for the role of food for the tadpoles of the first female.

Bag of common marsupial tree frog (Gastrotheca marsupiata).

But marsupial tree frogs surpassed all in parental care. In females of this species, folds of skin on the back form a bag. During mating, the cloaca of the female turns inside out and the laid eggs, fertilized by the male on the go, immediately fall into the bag. Hatching continues until the juveniles become similar to adults.

Horned marsupial tree frog (Gastrotheca cornuta) with its offspring.

Tree frogs have many enemies. They are hunted by snakes large lizards, monitor lizards, various birds and even insects, such as large praying mantises. But tree frogs have learned to withstand numerous dangers. Firstly, they are perfectly masked by the outfit - inconspicuously invisible (like bark and soil), or grassy green (like leaves), or dissected-contrasting (as if a flower was lost among the greenery). The action of the outfit enhances immobility. In extreme cases, the tree frog can jump. But do not think that the flight - the only way protection. Some tree frogs, in case of danger, tip over with their belly up and pretend to be dead. Finally, there are those whose skin, when attacked, releases a corrosive liquid. Among the latter species is the toad-like tree frog, which warns of its inedibility with an unusual color - gray-milky blue. This tree frog even has a bright turquoise inside its mouth.

Toad frog (Trachycephalus resinifictrix).

The study of tree frogs continues to this day. Every year new species are found in the tropics. Unfortunately, many of them have a limited range and immediately after the discovery are on the verge of extinction. Due to their bright colors, unusual voices and interesting behavior, tree frogs are often kept in terrariums. These amphibians are also very durable: in captivity they live up to 15-20 years.