Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum

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Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum
Cricket Glass Frog - Hylinobatrachium colymbiphyllum Plantation Road.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Centrolenidae
Genus: Hyalinobatrachium
Species:
H. colymbiphyllum
Binomial name
Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum
(Taylor, 1949)
Synonyms

Centrolenella colymbiphyllumTaylor, 1949
Hyalinobatrachium crybetesMcCranie and Wilson, 1997

Contents

Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum, [2] [3] also called the bare-hearted glass frog, plantation glass frog and the cricket glass frog, is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae that is found in moist forests, often near streams, in countries in Central America and South America. [4] They are small, green frogs with many similarities to other glass frogs, however, they have the most transparent undersides of any glass frogs. Their transparent undersides make them ideal bio-indicators for how global warming and other threats are affecting the animals in the forests.

Characteristics

Cricket Glass Frog - Hylinobatrachium colymbiphyllum.jpg

Bare-hearted glass frogs are similar in features to most glass frogs but have their own distinct characteristics. Like most glass frogs, they are small and green with yellow spots and transparent undersides. The transparent undersides are the main feature of most glass frogs, but the bare-hearted glass frog has the clearest underside, allowing almost full visibility of their internal organs. [5] Their transparent skin also makes them difficult to see, as well as their size. [6] They are very small, with male frogs being 22–27 mm (0.87–1.06 in) long and females 24.5–29 mm (0.96–1.14 in) long. Other distinct characteristics of bare-hearted glass frogs are their forward-facing golden eyes and nostrils raised from their heads. They spend time moving throughout the forests and streams, their front fingers being less webbed and more isolated, while their back feet are heavily webbed, allow them mobility in trees and in water. [7]

Bare-hearted glass frog tadpoles are very small, less than 9.5 mm (0.37 in). They are brown with light undersides and have long bodies with pointed tails for swimming while they mature in the streams. [3]

Most Amphibians, including the glass frog, have innate embryonic resistance and defenses hat are reflecting in their social and environmental structures. It is shown that a frog's skin is a great host for microbe community diversity and may vary depending on horizontal (conspecifics), environmental, or vertical transmissions. [8]


Habitat

The bare-hearted glass frog is found in Honduras (Olancho Department), central and southeastern Costa Rica, Panama, and western Colombia along the western slopes of Cordillera Occidental. [2] [9] They live near streams, or other bodies of water, that are surrounded by rainforests. During breeding season, they live beside or directly above streams on leaves and bush that dangle over the water in order for eggs to hatch into the stream. [10] The Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center (CRARC), founded by Brian Kubicki, has found that they live higher in trees or near waterfalls while not in breeding season. [4] There is not much research on what they eat, but like most frogs, they probably eat small insects. [6]

Since they rely on the presence of trees, they are most threatened by the destruction of their habitat from deforestation. [3] Even though they face threats to their environment, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, they are considered to be "least concern" for extinction. [1] However, with many other glass frogs declining in population, bare-hearted glass frogs are also at risk. [4] Global warming is also a threat to bare-hearted glass frogs. They need moisture and rain in order to not dry out, and lack of rain or warmer conditions can be dangerous. [6] Biologists are interested in further researching and observing bare-hearted glass frogs as they can be good bio-indicators of how global warming is affecting, not only frogs, but other species in rainforests. [6] Along with global warming concerns, studies have shown that predation events of Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphylum are become more widely documented and understood. [11] Scientists are now documenting new sites of Ornate Cat-eyed snake species predation on the glass frogs in Costa Rica, where they feed on the glass frogs, toads, eggs and larvae, and small lizards (Escalante and Acuña).

Breeding

Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum edit.jpg

Breeding season is during rainy season, from late fall to spring. The process of breeding starts with males selecting a leaf or bush near a stream as their calling ground. Then they call to attract females, the sound is similar to a cricket, which is where they get one of their common names from. [12] They stay in one spot to call from and will fight other males for territory and to win females. The fights between males are over a specific leaf or calling area and are won by one male pinning the other down. Once they attract a female, the eggs are laid on the underside of a leaf. [5] Batches are 50-75 eggs, and are laid under leaves above streams where they are cared for by the male. The male's responsibility is to protect and keep the eggs moist, he does this through urination and osmosis (a process where water passes through the skin). [4] Due to the nocturnal nature of the frogs, the male guards the batch during the night but eggs are stolen by wasps when they are not guarded. The wasps steal the eggs one at a time and can steal entire batches while the eggs are not guarded during the day. [5] The eggs are cared for and mature while on the leaf for about two weeks. [4] Once the eggs hatch, they either wiggle until they drop into the streams or are washed off the leaves by the rain into the streams, [3] where they finish their larval development. [1] Studies have also shown that glass frogs can exhibit complex male-parental responses in unusual circumstances like problems in embryonic development. For instance, a male can make life-stage requirement decisions based on environmental risks. An embryo could be capsule-less and are at risk of dehydration and infection. The male parent, in this case, can make the ultimate decision to remove the embryos that might risk the survivability of the other embryos in the clutch or undergo a 'rescue strategy' to save the offspring. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glass frog</span> Family of amphibians

The glass frogs belong to the amphibian family Centrolenidae. While the general background coloration of most glass frogs is primarily lime green, the abdominal skin of some members of this family is transparent and translucent, giving the glass frog its common name. The internal viscera, including the heart, liver, and gastrointestinal tract, are visible through the skin. When active their blood makes them visible; when sleeping most of the blood is concealed in the liver, hiding them. Glass frogs are arboreal, living mainly in trees, and only come out for mating season. Their transparency conceals them very effectively when sleeping on a green leaf, as they habitually do.

<i>Cochranella</i> Genus of amphibians

Cochranella is a genus of glass frogs, family Centrolenidae. They are found in Central America from Honduras southward to the Amazonian and Andean cloud forests of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium</i> Genus of amphibians

Hyalinobatrachium is a genus of glass frogs, family Centrolenidae. They are widely distributed in the Americas, from tropical Mexico to southeastern Brazil and Argentina.

<i>Cochranella nola</i> Species of frog

Cochranella nola is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae, the glass frogs, so named because of the transparent skin on the underside of the abdomen through which the internal organs can be seen. This species is endemic to Bolivia where it is found in the Andean foothills in the Santa Cruz Department. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers. The scientific name nola is Latin for "small bell", and refers to the high-pitched, bell-like call of the male in the breeding season.

Hyalinobatrachium aureoguttatum, also known as the Atrato Glass Frog and Sun Glassfrog, is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in northern Ecuador, Pacific lowlands and western slopes of the Cordillera Occidental in Colombia, and eastern Panama. It occurs from near sea level to 1,560 m (5,120 ft) asl.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium chirripoi</i> Species of frog

Hyalinobatrachium chirripoi is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in extreme northern Ecuador, northwestern Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica, as well as in Honduras. The specific name chirripoi refers to the Chirripó Indians inhabiting the area of the type locality, Suretka in the Talamanca canton of Costa Rica. Common name Suretka glass frog has been coined for it.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni</i> Species of amphibian

Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni, also known as Fleischmann's glass frog or the northern glass frog, is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in the tropical Americas from southern Mexico to Ecuador. Specifically, these frogs occur in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador. Notice that this and related species have often been confused with each other, and the exact distribution depends on the source. This frog tends to have green skin, pale yellowish spots, yellow fingertips and translucent skin covering its stomach.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium iaspidiense</i> Species of amphibian

Hyalinobatrachium iaspidiense is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae from South America. Its specific name refers Quebrada de Jaspe, its type locality.

Hyalinobatrachium orientale is a species of glass frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found on the island of Tobago and in eastern Venezuela. Its common name is eastern glass frog. The Tobagonian population has been described as subspecies Hyalinobatrachium orientalis tobagoensis(Hardy, 1984). The latter is sometimes referred to as Tobago glass frog. H. orientale is distributed throughout the Central Eastern ranges of the Cordillera de la Costa in Venezuela and Tobago Island with an altitudinal range of 190 to 1200 meters.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium pellucidum</i> Species of amphibian

Hyalinobatrachium pellucidum, also known as the Rio Azuela glass frog, is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in lower montane rainforests on the Amazonian Andean slopes in Ecuador and Peru. The specific name pellucidum is Latin for "transparent" and refers to the transparent parietal peritoneum of this species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powdered glass frog</span> Species of frog

The powdered glass frog or Chiriqui glass frog is a frog species in the glass frog family (Centrolenidae). The species is found from north-central Honduras south to northwestern Ecuador.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium valerioi</i> Species of amphibian

Hyalinobatrachium valerioi, sometimes known as the La Palma glass frog, is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in central Costa Rica and south to Panama and the Pacific lowlands and slopes of western Colombia and Ecuador; also in the Magdalena River Valley of Colombia.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium vireovittatum</i> Species of amphibian

Hyalinobatrachium vireovittatum is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in scattered localities in Costa Rica and west-central Panama. It has, however, been suggested that most populations actually represent Hyalinobatrachium talamancae, with Hyalinobatrachium vireovittatum restricted to its type locality in the San Isidro de El General district.

<i>Centrolene savagei</i> Species of frog

Centrolene savagei is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae that is endemic to the Andes of western Colombia, specifically the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central. Its common name is Savage's Cochran frog.

Hyalinobatrachium dianae, also known as Diane's bare-hearted glass frog, is a species of Costa Rican glass frog in the family Centrolenidae.

Celsiella is a small genus of glass frogs endemic to Venezuela. It was established in 2009 and named in honour of Josefa Celsa Señaris, nicknamed "Celsi", a Venezuelan herpetologist who had worked with glass frogs.

<i>Espadarana</i> Genus of amphibians

Espadarana is a genus of glass frogs. They are found in Central America and northern South America.

<i>Sachatamia</i> Genus of amphibians

Sachatamia is a small genus of glass frogs. They are found in Central America and northern South America at altitudes below 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium yaku</i> Species of frog

Hyalinobatrachium yaku is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in the Pastaza, Orellana and Napo Provinces of Ecuador. One of the remarkable characteristics of this species is that their belly and some internal organs are transparent leaving the red heart completely exposed through transparent parietal peritoneum and pericardium. The glassfrogs are generally small, ranging from 0.8 to 3 inches (2-7.5 cm) in length. This species can be differentiated from other frogs in the Hyalinobatrachium genus by the row of dark green spots down the middle of its back.

Juan Manuel Guayasamin is an Ecuadorian biologist. He earned his Ph.D. in 2007 from University of Kansas, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and as of 2017 he is working as professor at Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. His research interests include the evolution of glass frogs (Centrolenidae) and direct-developing anurans. His main contributions have been: phylogenetic taxonomy of glassfrogs, description of the variation of skin texture in frogs, description of numerous species of amphibians and reptiles, and a monographic review of all Ecuadorian glassfrogs. A team led by Juan M. Guayasamin discovered Hyalinobatrachium yaku in May 2017, a glassfrog with transparent venter. To date (2020), he has described a total of 6 amphibian genera, 55 species of amphibians, and 11 reptiles, including two geckos from the Galápagos Islands.

References

  1. 1 2 3 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T55323729A54343182. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T55323729A54343182.en . Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum (Taylor, 1949)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "AmphibiaWeb - Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Butvill, David Brian (4 January 2008). "Shining a Light on Glass Frogs". National Wildlife Federation. National Wildlife Federation. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "Cricket Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum) - The Night Tour - Drake Bay, Costa Rica". www.thenighttour.com. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Glass Frog". www.svsu.edu. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "Descriptions and articles about the Plantation Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum) - Encyclopedia of Life". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  8. ↑ Walke, Jenifer B.; Hariss, Reid N.; Reinert, Laura K.; Rollins-Smith, Louise A.; Woodhams, Douglas C. (2011). "Social Immunity in Amphibians: Evidence for Vertical Transmission of Innate Defenses". Biotropica. 43 (4): 396-400. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7429.2011.00787.x.
  9. ↑ "Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum Taylor 1949". Amphibians of Panama. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  10. ↑ "Glass frogs, the beautiful transparent frogs from the amazon". Mudfooted.com. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  11. ↑ Escalante, Raby Nuñez; Acuña, David Garro (2020). "Predation of a Plantation Glassfrog, Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphylum (Anura: Centrolenidae), by an Ornate Cat-eyed Snake, Leptodeira ornata (Squamata: Dipsadidae), in Costa Rica". Reptiles & Amphibians. 27 (3): 489-490.
  12. ↑ Lindsay (24 October 2011). "Through the looking glass…". amphibianrescue.org. Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  13. ↑ Delia, Jesse; Bravo-Valencia, Laura; McDiarmid, Roy W. (2017). "Notes on paternal behavior in Hyalinobatrachium glassfrogs (Anura: Centrolenidae)". Short CommuniCation. 16 (1): 101-107. doi: 10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v16i1p101-107 .
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