Gladiator Tree Frog

By Marla Lise

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Gladiator Tree Frog

Scientific Name: Hypsiboas rosenbergi

The Gladiator Tree Frog … hmm, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear that name?

A green frog with a helmet, sword and shield, going, “rrrr-bit”?

Although that idea might be a little bit far-fetched, this frog actually does have a ‘dagger’ that it uses in fights. The male frogs have a bony spine on their hands that they use to fight off other males in search of nests or females. Another fascinating thing about these frogs is that the males can make five different types of sounds.

The Gladiator Tree Frogs are one of the world’s largest tree frogs, measuring between 70-90mm long. They are found in the lowlands of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica in Central and South America. The adults feed on insects and spiders, while the tadpoles eat small insect larvae and eggs.

They have webbed hands and feet and suction cups on their toes, which helps them to hold on to tree trunks and branches and to swim as well. The adult frogs lay their eggs in muddy areas near water bodies and the little tadpoles emerge to greet the world about 40 hours later. They usually live up to 1 year.

Alarms haven’t been sounded as yet to step up conservation efforts to save these frogs, however, as more and more trees are being cut down in Latin American rainforests, it is only a matter of time before they lose their homes.

Animal profiles

Birds
Bare-Faced Ibis
Blue and Gold Macaw
Common Potoo
Green Honeycreeper
Hoatzin
Horned Screamer
Jabiru Stork
Malachite Kingfisher
Mealy Parrot
Northern Cassowary
Scale-crested pygmy-tyrant
Rhinoceros Hornbill
Scarlet Ibis
Wattled Jacana

Mammals
Asian black bear
Black-and-white ruffed lemur
Bornean Rhino
Brown capuchin monkey
Capybara
Coquerel's Sifaka
Crowned Lemur
Kinkajou
Malayan Tapir
Margay
Mountain Gorilla
Plains Zebra not a rainforest species
Spectral Tarsier
Spider Monkey
White-lipped peccary


Reptiles
Green Basilisk
Leatherback Sea Turtle not a rainforest species
Pygmy stump-tailed chameleon
Spectacled Caiman


Amphibians
Gladiator Tree Frog
Green Poison Arrow Frog
Monkey Frog