the blue-sided tree frog

THE BLUE-SIDED TREE FROG

Details of the Frog.

Scientific Name: Agalychnis Annae. Common Name: Blue-sided Tree Frog. Family: Hylidae. Class: Amphibia. Order: Anura. Kingdom: Animalia. Year Assessed: 2008.

Habitat It’s Native to

Costa Rica. The species

prefers moist wet rainforests.

Is a nocturnal frog.

Features

Suction toes

Golden Eyes

Blue Strip

Pink underside

Green body

Features

The tree frog is bright green with a strip of blue running down its side.

The frog also has a pinkish underbelly and a bluey green back.

The frog has suction toes on the end of its feet; consequently these suction toes help it to jump easily from leaf to leaf and branch to branch.

Why is it classified as Endangered.

The population size has decreased by over 50% since the 90’s.

The causes of the decrease in population may not be reversible.

Introduced pathogens, parasites or pollutants are affecting the frogs.

Why is it Endangered?

Chytridiomycosis (chytrid fungus) infects the frogs and kills them.

Xiphophorus hellerii (swordtail fish) eats the frogs larvae.

People catch the frogs to keep as pets.

Why is it Endangered!

Pollution is both good and bad.

When the pollution is around the chytrid fungus disease can not survive.

But the frog must then deal with the effects of pollution.

Global Warming affects the habitats of the frog.

Helping Out. Stopping the pollution could bring the fungus disease back and kill more frogs.

Detailed research needs to be done to determine what will happen to the frogs when the pollution is gone.

Helping Out

As of yet there is no captive breeding program.

In the future one should be set up. This will help gradually bring the

number of frogs back up.

What can we do?

Try to reduce emissions, to prevent global warming further developing.

Let people know about the current situation of the frog.

Make the world aware.

Bibliography: Photos 8/10/10 - It’s a Wildlife, frogs of Costa

Rica: http://www.itsawildlife.com.au/index.php?page=Frogs-of-Costa-Rica

12/10/10 - Dan Suzio: http://www.dansuzio.com/

8/10/10 –Arkive: http://www.arkive.org/blue-sided-tree-frog/agalychnis-annae/images.html

Bibliography: Information

8/10/10 - Iucn Red List: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/55288/0

12/10/10 - Untamed Science: http://www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/animals/chordates/amphibians/frogs/tree-frogs/agalychnis/blue-sided-tree-frog

17/10/10 - Animal planet: http://animal.discovery.com/guides/endangered/amphibians/bluesided-tree-frog.html

12/10/10- Amphibaweb: http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Agalychnis&where-species=annae