Nature Lesson: Red Eyed Tree Frog

Red-eyed tree frog
Red-eyed tree frogs come from rain forests of Costa Rica in Central America. While lovely creatures and good breeding pets, I really, really recommend that this not be a good pet for beginners! They are pretty expensive and fairly delicate.

Why do they have such bright red eyes? Some believe that it is also a form of protection called "startle coloration". These frogs tend to be active at night, so if the frog is awakened in the daytime, as might happen if a predator chanced upon it despite its excellent day time camouflage, the eyes pop abruptly open. Since they are suddenly so bright, they startle the predator, who is likely to pause, if only for a moment. Big eyes staring at you could be those of an enemy, poised to attack. A moment's hesitation would be all the agile tree frog would need to make a leap to safety.
Credit: Information and photographic images are from www.allaboutfrogs.org