Skip to content
zoo horizontal strip
Ongoing updates and improvements

Red-eyed tree frog

Agalychnis callidryas

IMG 20240312 WA0004
IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Amphibians
Order: Anura
Family: Phyllomedusidae

The stunning red-eyed tree frog is endemic to areas near rivers and ponds in rainforests and humid lowlands across southern Mexico, Central America and northern Colombia.

These frogs are insectivores, eating moths, crickets, flies, grasshoppers and other small insects.

Interesting facts!

  • Red-eyed tree frogs spend most of their time in trees and have sticky pads on their toes to help them move and jump about.
  • This species is not poisonous and relies on camouflage to protect itself. They close their eyes to appear fully green, like a leaf!
  • After mating, the female lays a clutch of eggs on a leaf above a pond or large puddle. The small tadpoles hatch after several days and fall into the water below. They stay in the water for a couple of months while they metamorphose into frogs.

Conservation

The red-eyed tree frog is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution and presumed large population. It is also present in a number of protected areas throughout its native range. However it does face pressures like habitat loss through deforestation and capture for the wildlife pet trade.