marsupial frog

Marsupial frogs are a type of South American tree frog belonging to the family Hylidae. The defining characteristic of these amphibians is that the females carry their eggs and young in a pouch on their back.1

Some species, like Gastrotheca marsupiata, lay eggs that develop within the female's pouch, where they hatch into tadpoles and complete their development before emerging. This unique reproductive strategy allows them to live high in trees, completing their life cycle without returning to the ground. Other frogs, while not strictly marsupial, also exhibit unusual parental care, such as mouth-brooding or carrying tadpoles on their backs.23