The glass frogs belong to the amphibian family Centrolenidae, native to the Central American Rainforests. 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, feeding on small insects and only coming out for mating season. Their transparency conceals them very effectively when sleeping on a green leaf, as they habitually do. However, climate change and habitat fragmentation has been threatening the survival rates of the family.
Hyalinobatrachium is a genus of glass frogs, family Centrolenidae. They are widely distributed in the Americas, from tropical Mexico to southeastern Brazil and Argentina.
Espadarana audax is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found on the Amazonian versant of Andes in northeast Peru, eastern Ecuador, and southern Colombia.
Centrolene ballux is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is known from a few disjunct localities on the Pacific versant of the Cordillera Occidental in southern Colombia and northern Ecuador. Common names golden-flecked glassfrog and Burrowes' giant glass frog have been coined for it.
Cochranella litoralis is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is known from the Pacific lowlands of southwestern Colombia and northern Ecuador. The specific name litoralis refers to the proximity of the type locality to the sea.
"Centrolene" medemi is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. The species occurs in the Cordillera Oriental in the Tolima, Caquetá, and Putumayo Departments in Colombia and adjacent Napo in Ecuador. The generic placement of this species within the subfamily Centroleninae is uncertain. The specific name medemi honors Fred Medem, collector of the holotype. Common name Medem giant glass frog has been coined for it.
Nymphargus chancas is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. Until recently it was only known from its type locality in the Lamas Province in Peru; however, it is now known to occur more widely in the northern San Martín Region of Peru, extending into the Cordillera del Cóndor in Zamora-Chinchipe Province, Ecuador.
Sachatamia orejuela is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found on the Pacific versant of the Cordillera Occidental in southern Colombia and on the Pacific Andean slopes of northwestern Ecuador. Common name El Tambo Cochran frog has been coined for it.
Cochranella resplendens is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in the upper Amazon Basin in southwestern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, northern Peru, and Bolivia. There are also isolated records from the Cordillera Central in Antioquia, Colombia, and Amapá in northern Brazil. The specific name resplendens is derived from the Latin verb resplendo and hints to the jewel-like appearance of this frog. It is sometimes known as the resplendent Cochran frog or resplendent glassfrog.
Vitreorana ritae is a species of frog in the glass frog family (Centrolenidae). It is found in Amazonian Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and in southern Guyana, eastern Suriname, and French Guiana. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Nymphargus siren is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae, formerly placed in Cochranella. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are pre-montane forests near streams. It is threatened by habitat loss.
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.
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 munozorum, also known as Upper Amazon glass frog, is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in the upper Amazon Basin in Ecuador, Colombia, and northern Bolivia; it is presumably to be found in intervening Peru; earlier records from Peru have been assigned to Hyalinobatrachium carlesvilai.
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.
Nymphargus is a genus of glass frogs in the subfamily Centroleninae, which was established in 2007. They are distributed in the Andean slopes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. They are characterized by lacking webbing among the outer fingers, lacking humeral spines in adult males, and having a lobed liver covered by a transparent hepatic peritoneum. They can be more specifically characterized as having a head that is darker green than the body, there being yellow spots surrounded by black on head and body, upper eyelids are dark lavender. The conservation status of the Nymphargus frogs was largely believed to be critically endangered due to the minimal research done on this genus. Once the scope of the research was broadened the conservation status was able to be determined as being vulnerable. More frogs of different variations were found increasing the genus’ population.
Espadarana is a genus of glass frogs. They are found in Central America and northern South America.
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.
Rulyrana is a small genus of glass frogs. They are found in South America, on the Amazonian slopes of the Andes in Ecuador, Peru, and possibly Bolivia, as well as on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central and the western slopes of the Cordillera Oriental in Colombia.
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.
