Researchers from the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History (RTPI) have been monitoring Glass frogs and other amphibian species in Central America for more than two decades – not only to keep these frogs from extinction, but also to learn how some populations have been able to survive catastrophic declines due to the parasitic Chytrid fungus. Hopefully this information will help us as we try to find ways to help other endangered species as well.
Glass frogs owe their common name to their transparent undersides which, in some species, allow one to see their internal organs. Note that the species shown here has dark green bones!
Cascade Glass Frog (Sachatamia albomaculata)
photographed by Twan Leenders in Costa Rica
Glass frogs and some other tropical frogs tend to lay their eggs on vegetation that overhangs a stream or wetland; they avoid the risk that hungry fish will eat their eggs, and their tadpoles generally hatch during a strong rain and drop into the water below where they complete their development.
Powdered Glass Frog (Teratohyla pulveratum) eggs photographed by Twan Leenders in Panama
Check out his outstanding video created by Orbitist showcasing the Ghost Glass Frog, and stay tuned for new images and stories from RTPI’s most recent research adventures in the tropics!
