Red Eye Tree Frog - Mascot for Many Rainforest Saving Campaigns

The Red Eye Tree Frog is an exceptional frog which can be identified by their huge, bright red eyes, bright neon body, and their bright red or orange feet. The females are generally slightly larger than the males. They have bright blue and yellow sides with a beautiful bright blue for their undercoating as well. This little creature is surely one of the most colorful, nocturnal inhabitants of the rainforests in South America, Central America, and even in Mexico!

The Red Eye Tree Frog is famous for its amazing jumping abilities due to their suction cups on their feet. Because of their excellent jumping abilities, the Red Eye Tree frog is generally found inhabiting trees which gives it the nickname of Monkey Frog.

Well, why the bright colors? The bright colors will actually help the Red Eye Tree Frog camouflage when they're sleeping on the leaves. A theory for their red eyes is that if a predator was to startle them during their sleep, their flash of red eyes should startle the predator for a second or two - long enough for the Red Eye Tree Frog to jump to safety. This defense mechanism is called startle coloration.

Mating occurs from October through March. The male Red Eye Tree Frogs will croak, and call in unison in attempt to attract a female. Mating can get quite aggressive for the males as they will attack one another for a female and territory. When a female is located, the males, sometimes many, will jump and cling onto her back. Some of them will fall off during the time. When the female lays their eggs, the males on her back will them fertilize them as they go into the nest which is usually underside of a leaf that will overhang a water source. The female Red Eye Tree Frog will lay eggs twice. After the first time, the females will need to return to the water to get all the hydration back; at this point, a different male may mount onto them, or some may fall off. Sometimes that may end up with completely different mates.