Red-eyed Tree Frog: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Frogs · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. A red-eyed tree frog hides its red eyes when resting. Startled, it flashes red eyes, orange feet and blue and yellow stripes.
2. When a predator's vibrations reach the eggs, the embryos hatch after a few seconds and escape.
3. Male red-eyed tree frogs shake branches to keep rivals away, the first evidence of tree-dwelling vertebrates using vibration to talk.
4. While she lays her eggs, the female gives the male a piggyback ride that can last several hours.
5. A female lays roughly 40 eggs on a leaf above a pond, so hatched tadpoles drop straight into the water.

The quiz

1. What is hidden when the frog's eyes are closed?

• Its red eyes (correct)
• Its blue stripes
• Its orange feet
• Its green back

Closing its eyes hides the bright red, so the frog blends in with the leaves.

2. How fast do the embryos hatch when they feel a predator's vibrations?

• After a few days
• After a few weeks
• After one hour
• After a few seconds (correct)

After a few seconds, the embryos hatch out and escape.

3. Why do male red-eyed tree frogs shake branches?

• To catch insects
• To keep rivals at bay (correct)
• To dry off
• To warn of snakes

They shake branches to keep rivals at bay.

4. Who carries whom during amplexus, the mating embrace?

• The male carries the female
• The female carries her eggs
• The female carries the male (correct)
• The male carries tadpoles

The female carries the male piggyback for hours while she lays.

5. What happens to the tadpoles when the eggs hatch above a pond?

• They drop into the water (correct)
• They climb the trunk
• They stay on the leaf
• They float away in the egg

Tadpoles drop from the leaf into the water.

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