glass frog

amphibian

Also known as: Centrolenidae

Written by

George R. Zug

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Britannica Editors

History

glass frog, (family Centrolenidae), any of a group of tree frogs found in the New World tropics, some species of which have translucent bellies and chests. In glass frogs the viscera are visible, and an observer can see the heart pumping blood into the arteries and food moving through the gut. The translucency, which may also extend to the frog’s sides and parts of its back, is a type of camouflage in which the edges of the frog blend with the relative brightness or darkness of its surroundings. This phenomenon, called edge diffusion, softens the line separating the colour of the frog’s skin from the colour of the background. Not all species have a translucent underside. Viewed from above, most glass frogs appear light green. Their patterning ranges from uniform green to green with white to yellow spots that mimic glass frog eggs. Glass frogs have expanded digit tips that aid in climbing, and this trait allows most to live in trees or shrubs along forest streams.

Glass frogs are classified in approximately 160 species and 12 genera (with most species classified in the genera Centrolene, Cochranella, and Hyalinobatrachium). They occur from tropical lowland forests to mid-elevation mountain forests. Most species are small, with adults ranging from 20 to 30 mm (0.8 to 1.2 inches) in total length. In a few species adults are larger, attaining a maximum length of nearly 80 mm (3 inches).

For mating to occur, males must first call to females. Calling males sit on leaves—either the top or underside depending upon the species—over streams or lake edges. When a female comes, she does not descend to the water with the male. Instead, they mate on the leaf with the male clasped to her back with his arms wrapped around her waist (a physical position called amplexus). She deposits her eggs on the leaf, and, after she departs, the male often remains to protect the eggs from predators and to call additional females. Some males will attract other females and thus have several egg clutches in various developmental stages to guard. When the tadpoles hatch, they fall into the water below. Tadpoles usually live and feed amid the leaf litter and streamside detritus until they metamorphose into froglets. Among the major egg predators are “frog flies,” which lay their eggs on the egg masses. The flies’ eggs hatch quickly, and the maggots feed on the frog embryos.

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George R. Zug

glass frog

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