Flying frog: description, varieties, captivity

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

Natural we alth impresses with its diversity. There are a huge number of plants and representatives of the animal world in the world. Almost every year, scientists discover more and more new species. Today we will talk about an amphibian, which is known as the "flying frog". There are several varieties of these amphibians.

Copefoot Frog

There are about 80 species of flying frogs in the world. All of them belong to the Copepod family. Frogs of this species not only jump and swim, but also soar perfectly in the air. This feature is due to the fact that on the paws of these amphibians there are wide membranes. In some species, their area can be up to 20 cm2.

Flying frogs are most commonly found in the following tropical regions:

• China;
• Japan;
• India;
• Philippines;
• Malay Archipelago;
• Madagascar;
• African countries.

These frogs prefer to live in trees. Amphibians descend to earth only during the mating season to mate and lay eggs. The structure of the body allows them to carry out a small flight at a distance of up to 15 meters. Amphibian possesseshigh tenacity, due to which the landing is always successful. Such maneuverability and accuracy is ensured by the presence of small teeth and webs on the legs, which are covered with sticky mucus. When a frog needs to descend from a tree to the ground, it makes a jump and performs its gliding flight.

Description of the frog Rhacophorus arboreus

The habitat of Rhacophorus arboreus, or the Kinugass flying frog, is the islands of Sado and Honshu (Japan). The amphibian is found in the humid forests of the tropics and subtropics, in freshwater swamps and on irrigated lands.

This type of tree frog lives mainly in trees, and only during the mating season do individuals gather near water sources. Their diet consists entirely of insects.

The body structure of the Kinugass frog is somewhat different from other amphibian species. She has a very large head, and on the paws there are special membranes. Female frogs are larger in size than males. Their body size ranges from 59 to 82 mm, while that of a partner does not exceed 60 mm. The color is bright green, there may be black or brown spots on the back, although there are individuals that do not have any marks. The color of the iris can vary from orange to red-brown.

During the mating season, the male calls the female with a special call, which consists of a series of clicks. The flying frog is capable of laying 300 to 800 eggs. A substance is released from the female's cloaca, which she forms into foam. The frog attaches the resulting mixture to the branches of a tree, near a reservoir, and lays eggs there, after which the male fertilizes them. After a short period of time, the foam becomes hard, which provides future offspring with protection from predators and drying out.

Description of the giant flying frog

Polypedates dennysii, or the giant flying frog, lives in northern Vietnam. In size, an amphibian can reach 15-18 cm. Females, unlike males, are larger and have a bright color. The body may have white or brown spots. Quite rare varieties have speckles of a bright blue hue. If the amphibian is frightened, its coloration may change and take on a darker shade.

Interesting fact! Amphibians born in captivity do not come in a bright green color, their shade is something between green and blue, more like turquoise. The membranes on the hind limbs are pink in color.

The giant flying frog is predominantly nocturnal. The breeding season lasts from May to October.

Captivity

Recently it has become fashionable to breed all kinds of outlandish creatures at home. Amphibians are especially popular. Giant flying frogs are quite picky to keep, but their reproduction in captivity is almost impossible.

If you decide to get yourself such a pet, you will need a special terrarium, it is better to choose more spaciously so that the frog hascomfortable. Inside it needs to be equipped with snags and branches. Since amphibians love moisture, instead of soil, you need to fill the bottom of the terrarium with water. The layer should be approximately 5-7 cm.

Cleaning the pet's home should be done regularly, as the water quickly becomes polluted from amphibian excrement, and the walls get dirty due to the mucus on the frog's legs. Content temperature:

• afternoon: + 26;
• night: + 20.

You can feed frogs with insects, large cockroaches. Large individuals can be given small mice.

The life span of flying frogs is about 15-20 years.