Atrato Glass Frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Atrato Glass Frog |
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Centrolenella aureoguttata Barrera-Rodriguez and Ruíz-Carranza, 1989 |
The Atrato Glass Frog (scientific name: Hyalinobatrachium aureoguttatum) is a super cool type of frog! It's also known as the Sun Glassfrog. It belongs to a family of frogs called Centrolenidae. These frogs are famous because their skin is so clear, especially on their belly, that you can sometimes see their bones and organs inside!
This amazing frog lives in the warm, wet forests of northern Ecuador (in areas like Esmeraldas and Imbabura), the Pacific lowlands and western mountains of Colombia, and eastern Panama (in Darién Province). You can find them from places near the ocean all the way up to about 1,560 meters (5,118 feet) above sea level.
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What Does the Atrato Glass Frog Look Like?
Male Atrato Glass Frogs are usually about 20 to 24 millimeters long. That's about the size of a small paperclip! Female frogs are a little bit bigger, measuring around 23 to 24 millimeters long.
Their backs are a pretty yellow-green color. They have many small brown spots and some larger, clearer creamy yellow spots. You might also see a soft green stripe running down the middle of their back. But the most special part is their belly, which is almost completely see-through!
How Do Atrato Glass Frogs Have Babies?
When it's time to find a mate, male Atrato Glass Frogs will call out from plants that are hanging over streams. This is how they attract females.
Once a female lays her eggs, there can be up to 35 eggs in one group. These eggs are green and are covered in a jelly-like substance. The mother frog carefully lays her eggs on the underside of leaves, usually leaves that are hanging over a stream.
When the baby tadpoles hatch from the eggs, they simply drop down into the stream below. The stream then becomes their first home. Sometimes, the male frog will stay near the eggs to guard them and keep them safe until they hatch.
Where Do They Live and Are They Safe?
The Atrato Glass Frog loves to live in lowland rainforests. These can be either untouched "primary" forests or "secondary" forests that have grown back after being disturbed. They also live in "sub-Andean forests," which are often called cloud forests because they are high up and often covered in mist.
You'll usually find these frogs on plants right next to streams. They are quite common in their natural homes. However, like many animals, they face a threat from habitat loss. This means that the places where they live are sometimes destroyed or changed by human activities.
The good news is that the Atrato Glass Frog lives in several protected areas. These special places help keep their homes safe and give them a better chance to survive and thrive.
See also
In Spanish: Hyalinobatrachium aureoguttatum para niños
