Glass Frog
Hailey Finch Period 8 5/16/16
Habitat
Most glass frogs live in Northern, Central, and Southern America. All glass frogs live in the lower mountains. And most live right above streams, rivers, or ponds, mainly for a place for their babies to hatch. Glass frogs live in rain forests, where the climate is warmer. Even in some cases, few glass frogs can even live in Mexico, if they can find enough water for themselves and their eggs to hatch.
Movement
Glass frogs are very active during the night. But during the day, they mostly hide or try and do their best to stay out of predators site. They use their legs to move (or hop/jump) around. They have two hind legs, which are used for hopping, and two front legs which are used fro climbing, or any other things. Glass frogs jump very fast or slow, depending on how fast or slow they choose to jump.
Body Covering
Glass frogs are obviously transparent. But their skin is smooth most of the time. Glass frogs are also vertebrates, and amphibians. You can see the organs a lot clearer from the bottom (belly), than the top (back). Glass frogs are usually all different shades of green, but some can even be brown. Most have small tiny spots called ocelli, which is another word for eye spots. Glass frogs ocelli can sometimes be tiny white dots, or greenish brown and tan.
Diet
All glass frogs are carnivores, and they all mainly eat insects. But some larger glass frogs eat can eat greater sized prey even including other frogs. All frogs, including glass frogs, are mainly known for eating a lot of insects. They drink any water, from anywhere they can find it. Larger glass frogs, like the Pacific Giant glass frog, can eat larger prey than just insects. For example, they can eat snakes, spiders , and even other frogs. Their diet is usually the same throughout it's entire life.
Reproduction
All glass frogs reproduce sexually, internally, then externally. And they all lay eggs. Most glass frogs mate at different times depending on how much the weather changes where it lives. But all glass frogs mate at night. If the weather is usually always the same, then glass frogs will mate any night. And if the weather changes a lot, then glass frogs will only mate on certain nights. Males attract females by "calling" them, but the males attract the their soon to be mates where he wants the eggs get to get lain, and when they are, male fathers fight other males that try to steal their eggs. "The male wraps his front legs around her and hangs on just behind her front legs. He remains there until she lays her eggs. The typical number of eggs laid by a female glass frog is about two or three dozen" (Allen). Glass frogs' lays their eggs on the tip of a leaf above a water source most of the time, mainly so that when the eggs hatch, the tadpoles can drop into the water and begin growing on their own. Glass frogs gestation time is about 2 weeks, and sometimes, only some species of glass frogs do this, but either the mom or dad will stay with the eggs to watch them for a few days.
Adaptations
Glass frogs can adapt quite well at adapting to it's surroundings, but they are also bioindicators. This means that glass frogs react to the changing climate/weather around or surrounding them. Right now, many glass frogs are being affected by global warming, but scientist are trying their hardest to help these little guys. "As the temperatures have changed, the sky is no longer as cloudy as it once was in the frog's habitat. Without the clouds, the weather may be becoming too dry for the frogs. In addition, people are cutting down the frog's forests to build homes, create farms, or to take the logs, and fires are also destroying the forest" (Allen).
Other Info
- Sixteen species of glass frogs are at high risk of extinction
- Usually only 1.5 to 3 centimeters long
- In most species males are smaller than the females
- Sometimes you can see it's organs moving
- You can see the glass frog eggs in the female
- Appear camouflage in the daytime when hidden in the leaves
- Help control the amount of insects in the world
- Live for about 10-15 years
Works Cited
Allen, Catherine Judge. "Glass Frogs: Centrolenidae." Gale Research. 7th ed.
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- Granulosa, Cochranella. "Smooth as Glass - or Not." amphibain rescue. Wordpress,
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<hhtp://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2010-01/26/c_13151172_4.htm>.
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<https://featuredcreature.com,watch-out-glass-frog-got-crazy-eyes>.