Red-eyed tree frog. Photo by Rhett Butler (2011).
The red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) is one of the most colorful and best-known tree frogs (it is often used in advertisements).
The red-eyed tree frog lives in the lowland tropical rainforests from southern Mexico to northern Colombia where it is fairly common. Unlike many other amphibian species in the region, the red-eyed tree frog seems relatively unaffected by the deadly chytrid fungus which has driven scores of species of frogs and toads to extinction. Scientists are unsure why red-eyed tree frogs are immune, but it may have something to do with their arboreal life-style: red-eyed tree frogs rarely spend much time on the ground where chytrid dwells.
Red-eyed tree frogs are widely bred in captivity and are therefore common in the pet trade. Eggs are laid above a leaf overhanging water. When tadpoles hatch they drop into the water below.
