Morelet's tree frog (''Agalychnis moreletii''), also known as black-eyed leaf frog and popeye hyla, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

in the subfamily

Phyllomedusinae Phyllomedusinae is a subfamily of hylid tree frogs found in the Neotropics commonly called leaf frogs. Formerly, they were often considered as their own family, Phyllomedusidae. The subfamily is considered to be the sister group to the Austra ...

. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marshes.

Description

This is a frog that has a green body, black eyes, and a red or pink underbelly.

Distribution and habitat

They are found in moist subtropical lowland mountainous forests and wetland habitats of Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. They have been collected on the Atlantic and Pacific slopes of

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

Chiapas Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...

, the Maya mountains of Belize, northwestern Honduras, and El Salvador. They can live in pristine or disturbed habitats and will breed in temporary or permanent bodies of water.

Reproduction and lifecycle

They have an extended breeding season during the summer months. When choosing a mate, the females tend to search for the males with the best sounding mating call. The males whose mating calls are the longest and have the most frequent pulses in pitch are the ones who get chosen by the females. They deposit clutches of 50 to 75 eggs on vegetation or rocks over water. The eggs of the Morelet's tree frog have a green pigment and when they hatch, the larvae fall into the water to complete their development into frogs.

Conservation

Morelet's tree frog are abundant within its range and are kept as pets internationally. Industry and agriculture are thought to be the main causes of lowland montane forest destruction. The population of Morelet's tree frogs are also being affected due to a disease called

Chytridiomycosis Chytridiomycosis ( ) is an infectious disease in amphibians, caused by the chytrid fungi ''Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis'' and ''Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans''. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or extincti ...

, which is an infectious disease that kills amphibians. Chytridiomycosis and

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

are projected to cause the population to decline over 80% in the next 10 years. In some regions, the frogs have gone extinct completely. For example, a study done in 2004, has claimed that Morelet's tree frog may be extirpated from the region of Southern Mexico. Their survival is dependent upon several factors due to their human and disease-caused population decline. Some conservation measures are in place, while others are still in need of implementation or research. Several protected parks have been created to curb

in areas of Central America and Mexico.

Taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

research is currently in place to further understand the population's status. More data are needed, however, on a temporal and spatial scale to determine trends in the population of Morelet's tree frogs.

References

External links