Have you ever thought of having a pet frog? Even if you didn’t, don't you think that sounds interesting? Well, I Do. If I had a choice of which frog, I could have, it would definitely be the Emerald Forest Tree frog. Its scientific name is Hylorina sylvatica. The name Emerald Forest Tree Frog is its common name. This frog is very interesting, because of the quality of its skin, their diet, and its natural habitat within the rainforests of Chile and Argentina.  Keep reading for more interesting facts about this wonderful Forest Frog.

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The Emerald forest tree frogs are about 53-66 mm.  Their skin colors are light brown and dark brown when they are tadpoles.  When fully developed, their skin at night is a dark green color, but in the daylight, its skin turns into an emerald green with 2 iridescent copper bands. Males skins are brighter, both sexes show diurnal color variation.  An uneven yellow coloration has also been reported on the male vocal sac. One adaptation that they have is that their skin is sort of a camouflage color which aids in the defense of their predators.

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This type of Frog feeds on Small Insects or arthropods. They use their sticky tongue to catch its prey.  The frog looks at the food carefully and waits until the insect gets close, then it sticks out its sticky tongue and the defenseless insect sticks onto the frog's tongue. The tongue snaps back quickly to its mouth and the insect is swallowed faster than a blink of the eye.  The Emerald Forest Tree Frog can eat bugs of many shapes and sizes, as long as the insects fit in its mouth.  I am pretty sure it’s hard for the arthropods to hide from all of the predators, for they are a walking buffet for all types of animals, including our beloved frogs.

 

These frogs live mostly in terrestrial land and fresh water in the rainforests of Argentina and Chile.  They thrive on the weather that this unique region provides. They are mostly found in the darker areas of the understory which provide a natural shelter from their enemies.  This population of frogs is decreasing.  Most likely because of the following reasons: Change in climate and/or the increasing destruction of their habitat caused by wood extraction, Increase in the establishment of pine plantations, loss of poolside available breeding areas, and their natural predators.

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Hence, this tree frog is not very common anymore.  The decrease in population in the recent decades has left this very interesting animal close to extinction.  This and other unique species could possibly disappear from the face of the earth. 

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Author: Anais G.
Published: 2/2010

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Sources:

AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2010. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: Feb 15, 2010).
Animal Encyclopedia. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2005 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.