Smooth as glass—or not.

Granular glass frog (Cochranella granulosa)

Granular glass frog (Cochranella granulosa)

Cute Frog of the Week: August 15, 2011

This little frog is not chilly, and those are not goose bumps all over its smooth—almost translucent—skin. Those bumps are how the granular glass frog received its scientific namesake: Cochranella granulosa. Its polka-dotted skin has a granulated texture. In fact, the granular glass frog does not live in a cold environment at all. It lives in a sticky, humid environment in the lowlands of Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Honduras.

The frog lives in the foliage above fast-flowing streams and is nocturnal. When a male emerges from his day-long slumber, he sounds his call all night long. Females lay eggs covered in a jelly in clutches of 40 to 60 eggs above water. The eggs hang precariously over the edge of a leaf, but they are placed there purposely so. Although the eggs are not laid in water, they need a constant source of water. By hanging over the edge of a leaf they create a “drip tip,” which ensures that water that collects on the leaf will flow in a stream over them.

The IUCN currently considers these cuties to be of least concern, so their survival is smooth.

Photo by Kristen Martyn, Natura Tours Inc.

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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.

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