Not your average extraterrestrial

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Lindsay

: Red-backed poison dart frog (Ranitomeya reticulata)

Cute Frog of the Week: April 4, 2011

The cutie known as the red-backed poison dart frog can be found out and about during the day in the lowland tropical rainforests of Peru and Ecuador. Like all poison dart frogs, these beauties are vividly colored and patterned, which advertises their poison. Red-backed poison dart frogs have black legs with a cobalt or sky-blue mesh pattern, a black belly, and a back that ranges in color from fiery orange to scarlet in color, hence the name “red-backed.” While they are mostly terrestrial, meaning they tend to stay on the ground, these cuties also like to climb an occasional tree trunk (so does that make them an extra-terrestrial?). Luckily this frog is no alien and sightings are frequent. In fact, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature says these cuties are a widespread species with a stable population and large areas of suitable habitat remaining. It is also illegal to export these beautiful amphibians from their homes in Peru and Ecuador, which helps keep this special species safe from the pet trade.

Photo credit: Brian Gratwicke, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project

Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a…marbled treefrog?

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Lindsay

Marbled tree frog (Phrynohyas venulosa)

Cute Frog of the Week: March 28, 2011

Marbled tree frogs distinguish themselves from their equally cute tree frog relatives by their uniformly colored flanks and green bones, and the lack of dark vertical barring on the lip. Additionally, males have paired lateral vocal sacs, one of either side of the head behind the angle of their jaw. But that isn’t all that makes this frog so unique. These cuties have a highly developed ability to parachute from the trees of their forest habitats in central and northern South America. They have even been observed gliding for 27 meters after being dropped from a height of 43 meters! When they aren’t showing off their parachuting skills, this nocturnal frog is typically found perching on tree branches and vegetation while foraging at night. It finds shelter in tree holes, under tree bark, or in banana sheaths during the dry season.

Even though this frog is undeniably cute, approach with caution. These guys produce sticky, insoluble, noxious secretions that can cause severe reactions ranging from irritation and swelling to temporary blindness if the secretions end up in the eyes. In Belize, they even call this frog the “pepper tree frog” because it is also thought to cause sneezing! Ah-choo!

Photo credit: Joe Milmoe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Seeking things to smile about.

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Lindsay

: Palmer’s tree frog (Hyloscirtus palmeri)

Cute Frog of the Week: March 21, 2011

Although this cutie isn’t related to or owned by the world-famous golfer Arnold Palmer, he does enjoy spending time on the green—just not the putting green. This species of tree frog prefers the green, humid rainforests and riverbanks of Colombia, Panama, Ecuador and Costa Rica. These guys like to spend their time in the trees soaking up the sun and splashing around in the rocky streams where their tadpoles develop. But don’t be fooled by the seeming luxury of a tropical habitat—they don’t spend their lives on one long vacation. The homes of Palmer’s tree frogs are continuously threatened by deforestation, illegal crops, logging, human settlement, and pollution resulting from the spraying of illegal crops.

Photo credit: Brian Gratwicke, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.

ALL-NEW frog ringtones: Download the palmer’s tree frog’s call!

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Look, but don’t touch!

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Lindsay

: Granular Poison Dart Frog (Oophaga granulifera)

Cute Frog of the Week: March 14, 2011

The bright colors of these frogs scream “Don’t eat me, I’m poisonous!” without the frog having to say a word. This cutie issues the warning with the color red, but you can find bright orange or olive-colored granular poison dart frogs too! Although they’re only the size of a paperclip, their skin contains deadly toxins. To survive, this little frog must find even smaller insects or spiders in the undergrowth of the stream-banks where it lives. Named for its bumpy exterior, the granular poison dart frog can be found in the forests of Costa Rica and Panama. This little frog may be in trouble, however, as it is experiencing continued loss of its forest habitat and chytridiomycosis-related declines. It is considered threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Photo credit: Brian Gratwicke, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

My bones are green too!

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Lindsay

Powdered glass frog (Cochranella pulverata)

Cute Frog of the Week: March 7, 2011

Powdered glass frogs (Cochranella pulverata) are distinguished by their covering of white, irregularly sized spots on a lime-green body, looking like they’ve had a smattering of talcum powder. Their forward-facing eyes set them apart from other tree frogs, providing them with binocular vision and the most adorable anthropomorphic facial expressions that few other frogs can rival. Scientifically known as Cochranella pulverata, these amphibians live in forest-lined streams of Central and South America and are most active in the evening where males call to females while battling for the prime leaves overhanging rivers. They need these special sites to lay their jelly-like egg masses where tadpoles develop, eventually hatching and plopping down into the stream below as fully formed tadpoles. They’re faring better than some of their froggie friends—the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers powdered glass frogs of least concern.

Photo credit: Joe Milmoe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Do I know you? Aren’t you….?

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Lindsay

Imitator poison dart frog (Ranitomeya imitator)

Cute Frog of the Week: February 28, 2011

This colorful frog appears to be posing. And he is! Male imitator poison dart frogs (Ranitomeya imitator) are arboreal and position themselves on leaves to make sure other males see them and stay out of their territory. Their bright colors signal to predators to leave them alone, since their skin is toxic. Their striking appearance is not unique, however. These frogs mimic their poison dart frog neighbors’ color patterns (hence the name “imitator”), and the only way to easily identify them is by their call (listen here from Dendrobates.com). The imitator hails from Peru, striking its poses in the moist forests at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. It is active during the day, ensuring its colorful body can be seen by all.

Photo credit: Joe Milmoe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Wart’s Up?

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Lindsay

Wyoming toad (Anaxyrus baxteri)

Cute Frog of the Week: February 21, 2011

This lumpy looking, wart-covered Wyoming toad (Anaxyrus baxteri) may not be easy on the eyes, but it probably doesn’t even know it–Wyoming toads can’t see very well. At about two inches in length, its spots and brown color help it blend in. So does the cover of night, when the toads are most active.

Up until the early 1970s, the Wyoming toad was abundant in the Laramie Plains of none other than Wyoming. Within a few years, the species had a major population crash most likely due to pesticides, fertilizers, habitat loss, climate change, and the chytrid fungus. In 1994, the remaining six toads were removed from Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge and placed in a captive breeding program. There are now several Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) participants, including Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service facilities housing breeding populations. Through extensive captive breeding efforts, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has produced more than 5,000 tadpoles for release. Unfortunately the reintroduction of this species has been slow to take hold due to chyrtid present in the reintroduction sites, predation and other diseases. To learn more, visit Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Wyoming toad page.

Photo credit: Jeff Baughman, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Leaf me alone!

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Lindsay

Solomon Island leaf frogs (Ceratobatrachus guentheri)

Cute Frog of the Week: February 14, 2011

These gorgeous forest floor dwellers are native to the wet rainforests of the Solomon Islands and the hot and humid Papua New Guinea. As their name suggests, they look very much like leaves–their color can range from golden to duller browns and they are sometimes referred to as “eyelash” frogs because of the growths over their eyes that gives them more of a “leafy” appearance. Among the 5,000 known frog species, there’s a diverse range of how frogs develop from fertilized egg to hopping little froglets. Coquis are members of a group of frogs that don’t have a free-living (larval) phase. Instead, all steps of development (from single-celled egg to froglet) occur inside the egg. This means that when the pea-sized egg hatches, you don’t get tadpoles, but froglets! How cute is that?! Their eggs are also transparent enough that you can see the developing frog in the egg. These frogs are only about a quarter inch long when they hatch and grow to about three inches by the time they become adults. Even though these cuties are tiny, they have a pretty noisy call which sounds like the barking of a small dog! Hear it for yourself!

Photo credit: Jessie Cohen, Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

What’s your name?

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Lindsay

Coqui (Eleutherodactylus coqui)

Cute Frog of the Week: February 7, 2011

The coquí (Eleutherodactylus coqui), or “little frog,” as it is called in its native Puerto Rico, is a small frog that ranges in size between 15mm and 80mm and is considerably diverse in appearance. They can be green, brown or yellowish and sometimes have touches of different colors—and even stripes! The coquí is one of those frogs that undergoes metamorphosis inside its egg, unlike many other frog species (and most amphibians for that matter) that change from tadpoles into adult frogs. This means that it hatches from its egg as a little baby frog.

Ask a Puerto Rican abroad what they miss about home, and many will say the sound of coquis! This species has accidentally been introduced to Hawaii where it thrives, but most Hawaiians don’t have the same appreciation of this frog and go to great lengths to try and get rid of them! And if you can’t remember the name of this little frog, just ask it. Its call sounds like it is saying “coqui.”

Wiggle your toes!

Coquíes have disks on the tips of their toes to help them adhere to surfaces, like moistened leaves. Because they don’t require open water for their life cycle, they don’t have webbing between their toes, like more aquatic frogs, which means that this particular frog is probably not adapted to swim. They do like to be different, don’t they!? These lucky guys are listed as “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, though they have suffered some declines in the highlands.

Photo credit: Joe Milmoe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

The frog who cried “duck!”

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Lindsay

Wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus)

Cute Frog of the Week: January 31, 2011

Don’t get confused if you hear a quack and there isn’t a duck in sight. You might’ve just heard the call of the wood frog, whose duck-like quack can be heard coming from moist wooded areas and ponds throughout the Northern United States, Canada and Alaska. If you see a small brown frog with a dark eye mask in the woods, it is likely to be a wood frog. There are no other species with a similar appearance in North America. This cute masked creature measures from 1-2 ¾ inches long and its color varies with temperature and gender; female wood frogs are often larger and redder. Reproduction takes place in late winter/early spring at ponds where there may often still be a layer of ice—but don’t worry about these frogs freezing! Unlike most other frogs, wood frogs can tolerate the freezing of their blood and other tissues. These frogs can survive many freeze/thaw events during winter, allowing up to 65 percent of their total body water to freeze. Cool, eh?

Photo entered by wombatarama at http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Send us your own cute frogs by uploading your photos here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cutefrogoftheweek/

Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project

A project to save Panama's incredible frogs and salamanders

Category Archives: Cute Frog of the Week

Not your average extraterrestrial

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a…marbled treefrog?

Seeking things to smile about.

Look, but don’t touch!

My bones are green too!

Do I know you? Aren’t you….?

Wart’s Up?

Leaf me alone!

What’s your name?

The frog who cried “duck!”