Common tree frog. Common tree frog Message on the topic tree frog

She can definitely claim to be a princess. The tree frog, or tree frog, is a very cute creature of nature.

Tree frog - tree nymph

The tree frog is also called a tree frog. And literally translated from Latin, she is called a beautiful tree nymph.

What does the tree frog look like, what does it eat and where does it live?

The beautiful tree frog has a green back with an emerald tint and a milky belly. The stripe that runs along the sides can be black or gray-brown. These amazing animals are able to change their color depending on the weather: with a sharp cold snap, the upper part of the tree nymph darkens. They are distinguished by their slenderness, which is unprecedented for frogs, and a significant part of their life is spent in the crown of trees or shady bushes growing on the banks of reservoirs. The largest frog reaches a size of about 40 cm, but in European latitudes small individuals up to 5-7 cm are more common.

These amazing amphibians move with equal dexterity in bodies of water and on land. In addition, they are excellent at moving through trees: they climb over and jump from branch to branch. But such a frog spends almost the entire day in a motionless position, merging with the foliage. At the tips of the tree's fingers there are formations that resemble suction pads. Thanks to this natural “tool,” it can be held on a smooth surface (for example, plastic or glass) for a long time without effort.

With the arrival of darkness, the tree frog begins to hunt. Excellent night vision allows you to easily catch nimble flies and mosquitoes. Green eaters also do not refuse caterpillars, ants and small beetles. The long sticky tongue helps to capture prey. If large food is caught, then the tenacious front paws come to the rescue. And of all types of frogs, only tree frogs can catch an insect while jumping and stay on a branch in time with the help of tenacious fingers.

For normal life, the tree frog definitely needs water treatments: it prefers to swim in the evening. This simple ceremony allows the liquid to penetrate the skin and restore balance in the body.

“Wintering” of the tree frog and its wonderful singing

To survive the winter cold, tree frogs begin searching for shelter already in mid-autumn: they climb into small hollows, cracks in the foundations of buildings, into root voids, and less often burrow into the muddy bottom of slow-flowing reservoirs. After all, she needs reliable shelter to survive the winter weather. These frogs are among the first to wake up, and males begin to wake up a week earlier than females. In the absence of frost, already in mid-March they return to their usual habitat.

Green soloists loudly notify everyone about the beginning of spring.

Listen to the voice of the tree frog

Resonant and very loud singing is available to tree frogs due to the special structure of the resonator located in the throat (in most species of frogs such resonators are located on the sides of the head).

While singing, the skin on the neck turns into a convex ball, and the loud sound resembles the usual quack of ducklings, but at a higher pitch.

Males are the famous singers, their hallmark is the golden color of the jaw skin.

Keeping a tree frog at home

Experts say that the common tree frog takes root well in comfortable terrariums.

Thanks to their bright colors and elegant contours, they are always noticeable and aesthetically pleasing. The feeding method is quite simple: the frog is quite happy with the bred fruit flies and varieties of flies.

Tree frog or tree frog (arboreal) is a frog that belongs to the phylum Chordata, class Amphibians (amphibians), order Tailless, family tree frog (lat. Hylidae).

The family received its Latin name due to its unusual colorful appearance. The first researchers compared these unusual animals with beautiful tree nymphs, which is reflected in its verbal definition. Russian concept“Frog” appeared, apparently, because of the characteristic loud voice of the amphibian.

Tree frog (tree frog) – description, structure, characteristics.

Due to the fact that the tree frog family includes a huge number of species, appearance These amphibians are very diverse. Some tree frogs are characterized by a flattened body structure with legs similar to knotty twigs, other tree frogs have an external resemblance to small frogs, and still others have a flabby body, as if slightly blurred. However characteristic feature, inherent in almost all species, is the presence of peculiar suction disks on the tips of the fingers, covered with a thin layer of mucus.

Thanks to the vacuum that forms under the surface of the disks as a result of the displacement of air from under them, the tailless tree frog easily moves not only along the trunks, branches and leaves of plants, but also along any smooth surface, including vertical ones. Large woodies can help themselves with the moist skin of their abdomen or throat when moving along steep planes. However, there are species of tree frogs with poorly developed suction ability. It is compensated by the special structure of the fingers on the hind and forelimbs, reminiscent of a human hand with an extended thumb. Such frogs slowly climb trees, one at a time grabbing branches.

The color of tree frogs depends on the species and can be very diverse. Most of them are characterized by camouflage coloring in green or brownish tones with various stains, which helps the frog to easily hide among twigs and leaves. However, there are species of tree frogs that are brightly colored with contrasting stripes or spots.

Tree frog eyes big size and protrude slightly forward, thanks to this, binocular coverage of the surrounding environment is achieved, allowing them to successfully hunt and jump from branch to branch. Most amphibians are characterized by horizontal pupils, although there are species in which they are located vertically.

Sexual dimorphism in woodworts is manifested in differences in the sizes of male and female individuals, which are much larger than males, and sometimes in color. In addition, the male tree frog has a special organ called the throat sac, which, when inflated, makes sounds.

Where does the tree frog (tree frog) live?

The distribution range of tree frogs is fascinating temperate zone Europe, including Poland, the Netherlands, Norway and Lithuania, Belarus and Romania, the central part of Russia and Moldova, as well as Ukraine. Numerous species of tree frogs live in North and South America, China and Korea, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan and Egypt, Turkey, Japan, Primorye and Australia. The habitat of these amphibians is tropical and subtropical rainforests, deciduous and mixed plantations, as well as the coasts of reservoirs or slow rivers, wetlands and overgrown ravines.

What do tree frogs (frogs) eat?

The food of tree frogs is varied: tree frogs feed on various, and, as well as and. Amphibians usually go hunting at night. They wait in ambush for prey and catch it using the properties of their vision and a long sticky tongue.

Types of tree frogs (tree frogs) - photos and names.

The large tree frog family is divided into 3 subfamilies, which include more than 900 species. The most famous and interesting of them:

Subfamily Hylinae:

• widespread on the coasts of small bodies of water or slow-moving rivers, in flooded ditches and wetlands of the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. The size of an adult male tree frog does not exceed 1.9 cm, and females - 3.8 cm. The skin of the back and sides, covered with warts, is gray-brown with yellowish-green hues and dark spots indeterminate form. Abdomen tree frog are decorated with bright green or brown stripes, and on the elongated muzzle a dark triangle-shaped spot located between the eyes is clearly visible. The hind limbs of the amphibian are relatively short with long toes connected by a swimming membrane. The sounds of the male tree frog during the breeding season resemble the sound of small stones knocking against each other. These amphibians lead an active daily lifestyle. In case of danger, they can jump up to 0.9 m in height.

• Cricket tree frog (lat.Acris gryllus) lives in North America near small reservoirs, wet ravines overgrown with dense grassy vegetation, as well as swampy streams and river sources. The skin of the tree frog, devoid of warts, is colored brown or gray-brown with dark, almost black spots, which are bordered by a light green rim. In females it is clearly visible White spot on the neck. Distinctive feature This type of tree frog is able to change color, adapting to the environment. The toes of the frog's long hind limbs are connected to each other by a swimming membrane. The body length of adult females can reach 33 mm, and males - 29 mm. The lifespan of a cricket tree frog in natural conditions rarely exceeds 1 year. Woodworts lead a solitary lifestyle, gathering in large aggregations only during the breeding season. Due to the similarity of the frog's voice with the roulades of crickets, the name “cricket tree frog” appeared.

• lives in humid tropical forests South America included in ecological system Amazon basin. These frogs can be found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Suriname, Peru, Guiana, as well as Ecuador and Bolivia. The size of female individuals of this species of frogs can be 5 cm, but males have more modest dimensions. The frog's head with large bulging eyes is slightly expanded compared to its elongated, narrow body. The long fingers on the hind and forelimbs end in well-developed suckers. The color of the skin of the back and sides of the pinto tree frog is quite varied and can be from greenish-brown to red with brown tint. On the main tone, patterns of white spots or stripes are clearly visible, creating characteristic mesh patterns. The belly of piebald tree frogs is colored bright red. Orange color. Solitary individuals spend the main part of their lives in trees, descending from them only during the breeding season. Piebald tree frogs are most active during twilight and night hours.

• lives in the forests and forest-steppes of Poland, the Netherlands, Belarus, Norway, Lithuania and Ukraine, the USA, Korea, Turkey and Japan, the states of northwestern Africa, China and Primorye. The size of adult female frogs reaches 53 mm, males are slightly smaller. The grass-green, brown, bluish or dark gray coloration of the tree frog's back and sides can easily change in accordance with the basic color of the surrounding environment or due to the physiological state of the animal. The belly of the common tree frog is colored white or yellowish. The coloration of the back and abdomen is clearly separated by a dark stripe running along the sides of the body and head. Tree frogs usually spend daytime hours among the foliage of bushes or trees, and at dusk and at night they hunt insects. IN natural conditions these frogs live no more than 12 years.

• widespread in southern North America. Prefers tree or shrub thickets along the coast of natural and artificial reservoirs, as well as wet ravines or wetlands. The frog's body is slender, with a triangular head. Its length in adult females can reach 60 mm. The frog's eyes are medium-sized, slightly convex, golden brown in color, with vertical pupils. The smooth skin of the back is colored in a grass-like green color and are separated from the beige belly by a thin white stripe. At the ends of the fingers of the frog's hind and forelimbs there are suction cups, with the help of which the tree frog easily moves not only along branches and leaves, but also along the surface of the ground. The amphibian leads a solitary lifestyle, gathering in large communities only during mating. It is active at night. The lifespan of a frog in natural conditions can reach 6 years.

• is a typical inhabitant of the forest thickets of North America. The length of the frog's baggy body can reach 7 cm in females and 5 cm in males. The yellowish belly contrasts with the back, colored green, on which a pattern formed by dark green spots is clearly visible. The finger suckers are quite large. The tree frog gets its name from the barking sounds that male frogs make during mating season. Barking tree frogs spend most of their lives among the branches, high above the ground, but there are individuals that prefer to live near bodies of water. Amphibians are active at night, and during the day they sleep, hiding in a hollow tree or on the ground under fallen bark. Barking tree frogs form short-term pairs only for procreation. Under natural conditions, frogs live 7 years.

• lives in mixed or deciduous forests of Mexico, Canada or the USA. Populations of these amphibians are observed near artificial or natural reservoirs and deep damp ravines. The size of frogs does not exceed 51 mm. The color of the wrinkled skin of the back can be either gray with a beige tint or green, and the belly can be white. A pattern in the form of an oblique cross of black stripes, which border barely noticeable spots of an indeterminate shape, clearly appears on the tree frog’s back. It is noteworthy that depending on the temperature environment, humidity and time of year, the color of the changeable tree frog can vary greatly. The average life expectancy of variable tree frogs does not exceed 6 years.

• Cuban tree frog (lat.Osteopilus septentrionalis) - This is the largest tree frog in the world. It lives in bushes and woody thickets near water bodies. The distribution area includes the Bahamas and Cayman Islands, Cuba and the southern states of the United States. The average size of these frogs ranges from 11.5 to 12.5 cm, but some individuals can reach 15 cm in size, making them the largest tree frogs in the family. The color of the skin of the back, covered with tubercles, is slightly different in males and females. Thus, female tree frogs are characterized by beige or green tones, and males are characterized by brown tones. The tree frog's legs have transverse stripes of a lighter or darker color. Suckers on the fingers are well developed. The Cuban tree frog hunts at night, sleeping during the day among the bushes.

Subfamily Australian tree frogs or litoria (lat. Pelodryadinae):

• Coral-fingered lithorium or Australian white tree frog (lat.Litoria caerulea) lives in subtropical forests Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia. The size of adult females reaches 130 mm, and males rarely exceed 70 mm. The head of the Australian tree frog is short and wide, with large bulging eyes with a horizontal pupil. The frog's skin is colored in various shades of green, but can be chestnut or turquoise, with white or golden spots. The belly is colored pinkish or White color. The inside of a tree frog's legs may be reddish-brown in color. In addition to suction cups, amphibians have small membranes on their toes. The Australian white tree frog is characterized by night image life. The lifespan of coral-toed lithoria in natural conditions can reach 20 years.

SubfamilyPhyllomedusinae:

• lives on the upper tiers of lowland and foothill humid tropical forests Central and South America. The size of adult males rarely reaches 5.4-5.6 cm, and females do not exceed 7.5 cm. The surface of the skin is smooth. The frog's back is green and its belly is cream or white. The sides and bases of the limbs are blue, with a distinct yellow pattern. The toes of the limbs, adapted for climbing trees, are painted bright orange and have suction pads. Characteristic feature The red-eyed tree frog has red eyes with a vertical pupil. Despite his bright color, these tree frogs are not poisonous. They are most active at night. The maximum lifespan of the red-eyed tree frog under natural conditions does not exceed 5 years.

The world's largest and smallest tree frog (tree frog).

The smallest “forest nymphs” are considered to be Litoria microbelos with a body length of up to 16 mm and the tree frog Hyla emrichi (Dendropsophus minutus), with a body size of only about 17 mm. It is noteworthy that this baby is capable of jumping up to 0.75 m in length, which is almost 50 times the length of its body.

The largest tree frog in the world is the Cuban tree frog (lat. Osteopilus septentrionalis), growing up to 150 mm.

In addition to the above types of tree frogs, there are a huge number of varieties of tree frogs, the color of which is simply amazing:

Chak phyllomedusa Phyllomedusa sauvagii

The common tree frog is a small, graceful frog with long hind limbs. The body length rarely reaches 5 cm. Its skin is smooth and shiny.

The usual color of the upper body is emerald green. But the common tree frog is a real chameleon among amphibians: depending on the color of the substrate on which it is located and on the temperature, its color can acquire different tones of green, brown, gray colors. Sometimes you can even see a white or yellow tree frog. A dark stripe runs along the sides of the head through the eye and eardrum. The ventral side is white or yellow. Males have developed throat resonators. Besides, in mating season They, like other tailless amphibians, form nuptial calluses on their fingers, but they are poorly developed and are hardly noticeable on the miniature fingers of this frog.

Where does the common tree frog live?

The common tree frog is a widespread species in Europe; outside Europe it is found in Transcaucasia and Turkey. Its range extends into Russia in several places. This is the south of the Kaliningrad region, the southwestern regions of the central European part of the country, and Ciscaucasia. It is possible that populations of this species have survived in the basin upstream Volga.

Usually a calm tree frog sits on plants - trunks, branches, leaves of trees and shrubs, among the grass. In this case, the limbs are matched to the body, and the tree frog itself resembles a neat leaf; moreover, as a rule, it takes on the same color as the surrounding background. Therefore, it can be quite difficult to notice.

Lifestyle

Although the tree frog’s usual pastime is sitting completely motionless somewhere on a bush, in reality it is a very active animal: it swims beautifully, jumps on the ground no worse than real frogs, easily climbs any plants and “flies” from branch to branch.

Frogs sitting motionless are invisible not only to us, but also to insects. Of course, the tree frog will not miss the opportunity to grab a fly that inadvertently approaches, but this is just in the meantime (rest). The real hunt begins at dusk. Before this, if possible, the tree frog bathes, replenishing the moisture lost during the day (after refreshing water procedures The tree frog's body weight can increase by 40 percent) and then begins searching for prey. In the dark she sees as well as during the day, and collects all kinds of living creatures. Unlike clumsy toads, tree frogs can also catch small, mobile animals. A significant part of its diet consists of flying insects: flies, mosquitoes, small butterflies. A mosquito is quite a decent prey item for this tiny frog, and tree frogs eat so many of these pesky insects that they deserve our special thanks. On occasion, the tree frog can catch something in the water. It captures small prey with a “shot” of its sticky tongue, grabs larger prey with its jaws and pushes it into its mouth with the help of its front paws.

During the active season, tree frogs, unlike our other amphibians, never hide in ground shelters - holes, crevices, heaps of leaves. They sleep, rest, and take refuge (from heat, bad weather, predators) among foliage and grass. Only for the winter do tree frogs go underground - into the burrows of other animals, crevices under stones or in the ground; can overwinter in hollows or at the bottom of reservoirs.

Tree frog breeding

To reproduce, tree frogs need stagnant bodies of water with banks covered with tall plants- trees, shrubs, reeds. Males sit either in the water or on these plants and attract females by “singing.” The male mating call consists of rhythmic series, each of which contains four to six sharp sounds, similar to “epp-epp-epp-epp”. Thanks to the developed resonators, the sounds are quite strong, considering what a tiny animal produces them. All the local males gather at the spawning pond, forming an impressive chorus. “Singing” is especially intense in the evening, but some males “sing” during the day. Females come to the breeding site for a short time - just to lay eggs, and males stay here the entire period. Therefore, there are always more males in a reservoir than females, and the latter have a large choice. In the competition for females, males use two main techniques. Firstly, intense singing that attracts females. Secondly, the protection of its territory - a certain section of the reservoir into which the male does not allow rivals. It is clear that those who do not have such a territory simply have nowhere to reproduce, even if they manage to attract a female. As a rule, larger and stronger males take over and hold the territory. The success of mating “singing” is related to body size - the trills of massive males have different frequency characteristics than those of small ones, and nature has determined that the sound frequencies of large individuals are more attractive to females. The latter seem to know that the owners of such a “voice” are in the most suitable place for laying and breeding future offspring. However, the common tree frog, like many tailless amphibians with a developed mating “song,” has developed its own figurative tactics of behavior, allowing those males who failed to take possession of the territory to still leave offspring. Small males sit silently near the “singing” large ones and, on occasion, intercept females heading towards them. A couple can form already on land, but the “invader” cannot be thrown off by any force.

The female lays from 3 to 21 portions of eggs, each of which is a lump of 15-215 eggs attached to plants in the water. One female can lay up to 1800 eggs. The development of embryos lasts one to two weeks, and the larvae grow for one and a half to three months. Often the larvae overwinter and turn into small tree frogs only the next year. Having completed their metamorphosis, miniature tree frogs first stay near the shore of their native reservoir, and then, like adults, they find a place for wintering. They reach sexual maturity at the age of two to four years. In nature they can live up to twelve years. When kept in a terrarium, they reach a more advanced age; There is a known case where a common tree frog lived in captivity for 22 years.

The population density of tree frogs is quite high compared to other amphibians. In some places, tree frogs are as common as some grasshoppers, especially during the period when metamorphosed juveniles reach land. Despite the jumping ability of tree frogs and their ability to hide, practically merging with surrounding objects, numerous predators do not ignore them.

The common tree frog is one of the most bright examples rapid extinction of amphibians. Over the last century, its range within Russia has decreased significantly - it is reliably known that in several central regions of the European part and in Southern Urals During this period the species disappeared. Tree frog populations are dying in other European countries. The main reason for this sad process is the destruction and industrial pollution of the species’ biotopes. In many countries, the common tree frog is included in the lists of specially protected animals.

Tree frogs are a favorite object of keeping in terrariums. Beautiful and miniature, like porcelain figurines, bright and periodically changing color, clean, they are also always visible (unlike many other amphibians, which you will never see in a terrarium); They are interesting to watch, they are not difficult to feed (preferably with specially bred house flies and fruit flies), they adapt well to captivity and live a long time in a terrarium. The method of breeding and raising tree frogs in captivity has been worked out and is not very difficult. However, catching in natural environment and you should not bring them home, much less release them later in another place. Tree frog different types specially bred and sold for home care so as not to harm natural populations.

The red-eyed tree frog is an unusual amphibian of a rich light green color with a bright, expressive gaze. The tree frog is nocturnal. It lives in forests in the leaves of trees, but can swim.

This representative of the anuran order is native to Central America and warm regions of Mexico.

Prefers damp tropics located in lowlands, although it is found in low foothills.

It has very modest dimensions, the length of the body is from six to eight centimeters. The head is round. Distinctive feature– large red eyes with vertically located pupils.

Leathery upper eyelids and almost transparent lower ones are necessary for protection: while resting, he observes what is happening around him through the membranes. In case of a possible attack, the tree frog's skin folds drop, bright red eyes are scary predator, this makes it possible to escape. Active in the dark.

The tree frog has a scary coloring, but is not poisonous. The skin is smooth. Has a good sense of touch. The size and color depend on temperature, light and other parameters. The body can be either light green or dark. The sides of the tree frog are deep blue, with stripes on them:

• purple
• brown
• yellow

They are directed vertically or diagonally, the number of stripes varies among different populations (from 9 to 5-6). The abdomen is pure white or light cream. Her shoulders and hips are blue or orange. The bright orange toes (and pads too) vary to light yellow.

The paws are equipped with suction cups, which is why it climbs more than it stays in ponds. There may be faint whitish spots or dark green lines on the back. Tree frogs change color from greenish (during the day) to brownish-red (at dusk).

The tree frog constantly resides in trees, sleeping and feeding there. Loves warmth (above 20 degrees).

The green frog wakes up at sunset, yawning and stretching, then stays awake. Moves by jumping over an impressive distance. In hot weather it hides in the leaves.

Nutrition

An amphibian is a carnivore, its diet consists of small insects that fit in the mouth (spiders, flies, etc.).

Enemies

The main danger to the tree frog is snakes (parrot, cat-eyed, etc.), as well as lizards, birds, the bats And small mammals. Eggs are eaten by reptiles, etc.

They suffer from fungal infections. Fish, arachnids, and arthropods can destroy tadpole fry.

The tree frog's rainy season is the most suitable weather for the birth of its offspring. Mating occurs intensively in June and October evenings. Males make noise different sounds: deterrent - for competitors and inviting - for future partners. Due to the resonator bags, the sound is loud.

The frog begins to croak intensely in front of sunset, the sound increases with increasing humidity. Female tree frogs spawn on branches hanging above the water surface; there are 35-45 eggs. They are protected by a gelatinous shell, which makes the eggs inconspicuous. By the time they hatch, each one increases in size by one and a half times. Incubation for the green tree frog is one week.

The tadpoles of the red-eyed frog emerge simultaneously and are washed into the pond. The fry grow up to 40 millimeters. After 2 and a half months they turn into frogs. one of the largest inhabitants of the water element.

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