Make Like a Leaf
Part of the Frogs: A Chorus of Colors exhibition.
Part of the Frogs: A Chorus of Colors exhibition.
The leaf frog takes camouflage to a new level. The pointed snout, projections over the eyes, and ridged "veins" running down its back give this frog the option of disappearing into leaf litter. Predators help drive the evolution of camouflage by eating every frog they can find. A leaf frog that looks even slightly more leaf-like than its neighbor has a better chance to survive and reproduce, passing its genes to the next generation.
© Bill Love, Clyde Peeling's Reptiland
Ceratobatrachus guentheri
Class: Amphibia
Family: Ranidae
Size: Up to 3 inches
Food: Insects
Range: Solomon Islands
Habitat: Forest floor in leaf litter
Life Cycle: The female buries the eggs in a shallow underground nest. After a month the eggs hatch as froglets; there is no tadpole stage.