#treefrog

Crowned Treefrog (Triprion spinosus), metamorphs, family Hylidae, Costa Rica

Today's animal of the day is the Bahia Heart-Tongued Frog (Phyllodytes melanomystax)!

Photo credit: Amanda Santiago F. L. Silva

This species of treefrog is native to the rainforests of Brazil, and like the other members of its genus, spends much of its time high up in the forest canopy. These frogs depend on bromeliad plants that grow on the trunks of tall trees and gather rainwater between their leaves. The bromeliads not only provide a safe place for these frogs to hide from predators and stay nice and moist (since, like all amphibians, they breathe through their skin and thus need to stay moist or else they can't breathe), but they also provide a safe place for the females to lay their eggs and for their tadpoles to develop.

Photo credit: Reuber Brandão

I couldn't find a ton of information about these guys, but I assume that, based on their name, that they have heart-shaped tongues. I was able to learn that they have special bony projections in their mouths, called odontoids, which resemble teeth but aren't; however, they still serve the same purpose and help the frogs crush the hard exoskeletons of the insects they eat. Lots of other frogs have these structures in their mouths as well, including Pacman frogs.

Photo credit: Bruno Carvalho