Category Archives: Cute Frog of the Week

Candy cane frog.

Posted on by
Phantasmal poison frog (Epipedobates tricolor)

Phantasmal poison frog (Epipedobates tricolor)

Cute Frog of the Week: September 10, 2012

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step right up to see one of the world’s most astounding sights! This phantasmal poison frog is a vision. With red and white stripes, the frog dazzles the eyes like a circus tent. Don’t forget to peek underneath! The belly of this frog is swirled with the same red and white colors. But don’t get too close. The bright red signals danger! This frog secretes a toxin through the skin as protection against predators. Listen closely in the morning hours, and you might hear an advertising chirp or call from this amphibian.

Take a long look at this endangered amphibian; it may be your only chance to see it. This frog’s home in Ecuador is being taken over. Excessive development and logging are destroying the forests in the Bolivar Province, while the rivers are being poisoned by pesticides and pollutants. These factors make it one tough life for a frog. Even if this amazing frog survives these problems, the chytrid fungus could still devastate populations. The IUCN lists the phantasmal poison frog as endangered. To curb intentional deaths, trade of this fantastic frog is regulated under Appendix II in CITES.

Photo by Deepinon.

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/

Cascade frog

Posted on by
Cascade frog (Rana cascadae)

Cascades frog (Rana cascadae)

Cute Frog of the Week: Sept. 3, 2012

Named after the Cascades region in the northwestern United States, the Cascades frog is a treat to see.  Its markings can look suspiciously similar to a famous speckled feline. With a green or golden skin and small black ringed markings, some could call this species cheetalicious! The Cascades frog doesn’t growl or purr, however. Instead, it makes a low clucking sound day and night.

But that serenade may end soon. This spotted frog is in serious trouble! Typically found in mountainous open wetlands and meadows, its home is being destroyed by housing development and fire suppression allows trees to encroach on their habitat. Population declines from habitat loss and invasive species has made the Cascades frog a species of concern in California and Washington. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists this species as near threatened.

Photo by Walter Siegmund.

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/

Lungs. Who needs ‘em?

Posted on by
Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah)

Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah)

Cute “Frog” of the Day: August 27, 2012

The Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah) is a member of the Plethodontidae family, a group of lungless salamanders. Instead of lungs, these little amphibians use their skin and mouth lining to exchange air, but they need to keep moist to do it.  This means you might never notice how many salamanders are living just outside your door, since they like to stay under damp hiding places like rocks and logs during the day.  But take a look at the forest floor on a rainy night, and you might be amazed at how many of these critters are out, searching for food and mates!

While lungless salamanders are particularly common in the forested hills and mountains of the eastern US, you’d have to be in a very specific place to find the Shenandoah salamander.  This salamander has been listed as vulnerable by the IUCN since 1989, due to its small range and the threats of climate change and human development.  It can only be found on the high-elevation slopes of three mountains within Shenandoah National Park, and seems to be competing for resources with its close cousin, the red-backed salamander.

Photo by Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

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/

Just as cute as any frog.

Posted on by
Common Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra)

Common fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra)

Cute “Frog” of the Week: August 21, 2012

This week’s cute frog is not a frog at all, but a beautiful salamander! While this salamander (Salamandra salamandra) might have “common” in its name, its looks are anything but ordinary.  This relatively large salamander usually sports a bold mix of black and yellow splotches, but some individuals can be completely black, yellow or even orange.  As with many of our cute frogs, these bright colors warn predators to stay far away.  The common fire salamander stores a neurotoxin called samandarine within large glands running down its back. When it feels threatened, the salamander can coat its body with the milky secretion, and can even spray the toxin at a predator using strong muscles surrounding some of the glands.

Interestingly, instead of laying eggs, female fire salamanders move to streams or ponds and give birth to tiny, well-formed larvae. Over time, the larvae grow, absorb their frilly external gills, and climb out onto land. Some subspecies even skip the larval stage entirely, and are instead born as little terrestrial salamanders!

The common fire salamander can be found across Europe and is considered to be of least concern by the IUCN. However, there are several subspecies that are in decline, and many individual countries are working to conserve their native populations. The biggest threats to these salamanders are habitat loss due to development, pollution, and predation by introduced species.

Have you seen one? If so, send in your photo to the global amphibian bioblitz!

Photo by Gonçalo M. Rosa via ARKive.

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/

Life in the clouds.

Posted on by
Condor rain-peeper (Pristimantis condor)

Condor rain-peeper (Pristimantis condor)

Cute Frog of the Week: August 13, 2012

The Condor rain-peeper (Pristimantis condor) is named after its primary home in the Condor Mountains of Ecuador and Peru, though it also lives in two other mountain regions. This species can be found in cloud forest habitats, hopping on the foggy forest floor. The Condor rain-peeper is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN because of its fragmented and declining forestland. It is especially threatened by agriculture, logging and mining. Interestingly, land mines leftover from the 1995 Peru-Ecuador border war have created a safe haven for the population of Condor rain-peepers in the Condor Mountains.

Have you seen one? If so, send in your photo to the global amphibian bioblitz and claim the first observation!

Photo by Alejandro Arteaga via Flickr.

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/

Leaping from leaf to leaf.

Posted on by
Basin treefrog (Hypsiboas lanciformis)

Basin treefrog (Hypsiboas lanciformis)

Cute Frog of the Week: August 8, 2012

Though the basin tree frog (Hypsiboas lanciformis) looks yellow/brown, it has hidden white markings on its belly, fingertips and upper lip. At nighttime, this frog perches on low trees near lagoons, pools, streams and rivers. Not surprisingly, this tree frog spends the majority of its time hopping around trees. The basin tree frog is also good at adapting to different habitats and lives in several countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. The basin tree frog is considered a species of least concern species by the IUCN because of it appears to have a large and stable population. This tree frog is a strong breeder and typically lays clutches of 2,000-2,500 eggs.

Have you seen one? If so, send in your photo to the global amphibian bioblitz and claim the first observation!

Photo by Alejandro Arteaga via Flickr.

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/

Precious Pirre

Posted on by
Pirre harlequin frog (Atelopus gylphus)

Pirre harlequin frog (Atelopus gylphus)

Cute Frog of the Week: July 30, 2012

This frog is ready to brighten your day! With bluish stripes and yellow feet this Pirre harlequin frog (Atelopus glyphus) is especially striking. Adults are brown and look like they have had Jackson Pollack splatter them with yellow paint. This critically endangered frog is found in protected areas in Colombia and Panama. While Pirre harlequin frogs live in tropical forestland, their tadpoles stay in swift-moving streams. These tadpoles have large suckers that help them cling onto underwater rocks and graze on diatoms and stream algae.

The Pirre harlequin frog is one of the rescue project’s priority rescue species. The program started with 20 pairs that have now bred twice and we now house 75 juvenile frogs like the one above. The project’s goal is to reach 500 frogs total with representation from each founding pair of animals, as chytrid and habitat loss continue to decimate the population in the wild, making individuals difficult to find. Frogs from the Atelopus genus are among the most threatened in the world.

Photo by Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

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/

Wonderful Wikiri

Posted on by
Wikiri poison-frog (Ameerega bilinguis)

Wikiri poison frog (Ameerega bilinguis)

Cute Frog of the Week: July 23, 2012

The wikiri poison frog (Ameerega bilinguis) seems to have leapt straight out of a rainbow. The splashes of red, orange, yellow, green and blue on this frog give it a unique and beautiful appearance. The Wikiri poison-frog lives in the Terra Firme forests of Colombia and Ecuador. Specifically, its preferred habitat is leaf-litter near streams. When wikiri poison-frog tadpoles hatch, the father carries his young to small pools to grow up. This frog is listed as “least concern species” by the IUCN Red List, though the organization is currently gathering more information about its population trends. Habitat destruction of the Wikiri poison-frog is fairly common, and by 1996 almost 30 percent of the natural vegetation it lives in had been cleared.

Have you seen one? If so, send in your photo to the global amphibian bioblitz and claim the first observation!

Have you seen one? If so, send in your photo to the global amphibian bioblitz and claim the first observation!

Photo by Alejandro Arteaga via Flickr.

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/


Just hanging out.

Posted on by
Green rain-peeper (Pristimantis acuminatus)

Green rain-peeper (Pristimantis acuminatus)

Cute Frog of the Week: July 16, 2012

The green rain-peeper likes to hang out! This frog can often be seen sleeping on the undersides of leaves, its light green skin camouflaging with the plant. The green rain-peeper (Pristimantis acuminatus) is an Amazonian species, mostly found in Ecuador and Colombia, but also in parts of Peru and Brazil. This frog is considered a species of “least concern” by the IUCN, in part likely because it lives in various protected parks in South America. This frog prefers forests with close canopies and low elevations between 100 and 9,000 meters. Green rain-peepers feed on ants and termites.

Have you seen one? If so, send in your photo to the global amphibian bioblitz and claim the first observation!

Photo by Alejandro Arteaga via Flickr.

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/

Just making myself at home.

Posted on by
Reddish Rapidana (Scinax ruber)

Reddish Rapidana (Scinax ruber)

Cute Frog of the Week: July 9, 2012

This frog may be a “pest” but he sure is cute! The reddish rapidana (Scinax ruber) is listed as a species of “least concern” because of its large and pervasive populations. The species can be found in a variety of habitats, such as ponds, rainforest clearings, roadside ditches and public parks. The egg clutches of this frog can contain up to 590 eggs! The female Rapidanas are larger than the males and typically have brown or grey coloring, and variations in species morphology throughout this species’ wide range make taxonomists believe that what we currently call Scinax ruber is in fact a complex of several closely related species. Besides living in many South American countries, these frogs have been introduced to the islands of Martinique, Puerto Rico, and Saint Lucia, where it is considered an invasive species.

The acute treefrog (Scinax sugillatus) can be found in banana groves throughout Colombia and Ecuador. It also lives on forest edges and in open areas, typically at an elevation range of 20 -500 meters. In addition, the acute treefrog lays its eggs in water, so tadpoles develop in ponds. The acute treefrog is considered a species of “least concern” by the IUCN and doesn’t currently seem to face any serious threats. That means we can continue to enjoy its cuteness!

Have you seen one? If so, send in your photo to the global amphibian bioblitz and claim the first observation!

Photo by Alejandro Arteaga via Flickr.

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/