''Agalychnis saltator'', also known as the parachuting red-eyed leaf frog and misfit leaf frog, is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

in the subfamily

Phyllomedusinae Phyllomedusinae is a subfamily of hylid tree frogs found in the Neotropics commonly called leaf frogs. Formerly, they were often considered as their own family, Phyllomedusidae. The subfamily is considered to be the sister group to the Austral ...

. It is found in the Caribbean lowlands from north-eastern Honduras to eastern-central Costa Rica at elevations of asl.

Description

Male ''Agalychnis saltator'' measure and females in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the mos ...

. They have distinctive red eyes with vertical pupils. The dorsum is light or dark leaf green with bluish purple flanks. They have large suction disks and extensive webbing between the fingers and toes.

Habitat and behaviour

''Agalychnis saltator'' are

nocturnal Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatur ...

and

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally (scansorial), but others are exclusively arboreal. The hab ...

. They inhabit lowland and montane humid and wet forests, and to a lesser extent, adjacent premontane wet forests and rainforests. They live in tree canopies, but descend to temporary pools to reproduce. Male frog can leap from considerable heights to plants on the mating sites, extending its limbs and spreading out the skin between its fingers and toes, hence the name "parachuting frog".

Reproduction

''Agalychnis saltator'' are explosive breeders that breed after heavy rains. A single breeding aggregation may contain 25–400 frogs (typically 100–200), hanging on vines that overhang temporary ponds in forested areas, and on marsh vegetation (e.g. ''

Spathiphyllum ''Spathiphyllum'' is a genus of about 60 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas and southeastern Asia. Certain species of ''Spathiphyllum'' are commonly known as spath or pea ...

''). Most individuals in the aggregation are couples in

amplexus Amplexus (Latin "embrace") is a type of Mating, mating behavior exhibited by some External fertilization, externally fertilizing species (chiefly amphibians, Amphipoda, amphipods, and horseshoe crabs) in which a male grasps a female with his fro ...

, with one female frog being accompanied by one to four males. The eggs are laid amidst mosses covering the vines, but are very vulnerable to predation at this stage. ''Agalychnis saltator'' males have also been observed in

with ''

Agalychnis callidryas ''Agalychnis callidryas'', commonly known as the red-eyed tree frog or red-eyed leaf frog, is a species of frog in the subfamily Phyllomedusinae. It is one of the most recognizable frogs. It is native to forests from Central America to north-wes ...

'' females. The eggs from such matings are infertile.

Conservation

''Agalychnis saltator'' has a naturally fragmented distribution. It is not particularly common, but it is regularly seen on breeding sites. It is locally suffering from further fragmentation of its habitat because of deforestation from agricultural development and logging. However, it is not threatened on the whole. ''Agalychnis saltator'' is collected for illegal pet trade. It is listed in

CITES Appendix II CITES (shorter acronym for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of inte ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2197792

saltator ''Saltator'' is a genus of passerine birds in the tanager family Thraupidae that are found in Central and South America. They have thick bills, relatively long tails and strong legs and feet. Before the introduction of molecular genetic methods in ...

Amphibians of Costa Rica Amphibians of Honduras Amphibians of Nicaragua Amphibians described in 1955 Taxa named by Edward Harrison Taylor Taxonomy articles created by Polbot