The reticulated leaf frog, aka reticulate leaf frog, hails from Brazil. They prefer tropical woodland-savannas and Atlantic semi-deciduous forests. These frogs face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of farming, ranching, mining, quarrying, logging, fires, fire suppression, residential developments, and commercial developments; dams, which divide their habitat up as well as flood it; land pollution; and water pollution. However, despite all these adversities, these frogs are abundant enough to be listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Their populations are in decline though.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Pithecopus ayeaye
Weight: Up to .26 ounce
Length: Up to 1.57 inches
Lifespan: Up to 14 years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) Like many other frogs, these critters are nocturnal (active at night).
2.) Male frogs create multiple calls that provide specific information or a single call that conveys a variety of information.
3.) 1 call is used for advertising and looking for a mate. Another is used as a “ready to fight” call, for other males.
4.) Breeding season lasts from October – January.
5.) These frogs breed only on rainy nights, as this increases their chance of a successful reproduction.
But wait, there’s more on the reticulated leaf frog!
6.) Females lay up to 100 eggs with each successful mating attempt.
7.) The female prefers to deposit her eggs on plants in the families Melastomataceae and Solanaceae. The leaves of these plants have trichomes (fine hairs) on them which keep the eggs from drying out and helps the eggs to adhere to the leaf.
Did you know…?
While not officially measured, similar frogs can jump upwards of 20 – 30 times their body length.
8.) Tadpoles hatch during November – December.
9.) Another threat to these frog’s existence are climate change and erosion, which causes streams to be filled with sediment.
10.) While not overtly protected, their existence in places like Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra in the state of Minas Gerais and Parque Estadual das Furnas do Bom Jesus in the state of São Paulo, may provide them with some degree of protection.
11.) These frogs fest on a variety of insects and other invertebrates.
Now a Short Reticulated Leaf Frog Video!
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Some source material acquired from: Wikipedia & IUCN
