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Tree frog

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European tree frog (Hyla arborea)

A tree frog is any species of frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state.[1] Several lineages of frogs among the Neobatrachia have given rise to tree frogs, although they are not closely related to each other.

Millions of years of convergent evolution have resulted in very similar morphology even in species that aren't very closely related.[2]

Description

Red-eyed tree frog, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Gladiator tree frog (Hypsiboas rosenbergi), Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

As the name implies, these frogs are typically found in trees or other high-growing vegetation. They do not normally descend to the ground, except to mate and spawn, though some build foam nests on leaves and rarely leave the trees at all as adults.

Many tree frogs can change their color for better camouflage. For instance, the grey tree frog (Hyla versicolor) can change its color from green to grey to yellow.[3]

Tree frogs are usually tiny as their weight has to be carried by the branches and twigs in their habitats. While some reach 10 cm (4 in) or more, they are typically smaller and more slender than terrestrial frogs. Tree frogs typically have well-developed discs at the finger and toe tips; the fingers and toes themselves, as well as the limbs, tend to be rather small, resulting in a superior grasping ability. The genus Chiromantis of the Rhacophoridae is most extreme in this respect: it can oppose two fingers to the other two, resulting in a vise-like grip.

Family

Tree frogs are members of these families or genera:

References

  1. ^ Amphibians (2008-04-22). "Tree Frog Info". Animals.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  2. ^ Rowley, Jodi. "Frogs in the trees". The Australian Museum. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  3. ^ "Eastern Gray Treefrog". Herpnet.net. Retrieved 2018-08-24.

Bibliography