Red-eyed tree frogs undergo metamorphosis as they develop from an egg, to a tadpole, to a froglet, and finally to an adult.
The female red-eyed tree frog lays eggs in a big clump, called a clutch. She will lay up to 7000 eggs at one time on the edge of a leaf that is over water. Since the eggs are in such a large clump, it can be difficult for predators, such as snakes, to eat the eggs. The sticky jelly-like substance that covers the eggs also makes it more difficult for hungry animals to find a snack.
The tadpoles will begin to hatch at 5-21 days old. As the tadpoles begin to squirm and move around inside the egg, they fall off of the leaf and into the water below where they will hatch. The tadpoles can also hatch early if they sense danger nearby. Click on the eggs below to see more!
Once in the water, the tadpoles will eat algae, plants, and leaves. The tadpoles have gills so they can breathe in the water, and tails so that they can swim. When the tadpoles are about 1 month old, they will begin to lose their tails, and develop lungs. Their eyes will remain gold or brown until they leave the water.
The tadpoles will begin to grow legs at 6-9 weeks old. By the time the tadpoles are 90 days old, they will be froglets. Their lungs will be developed so they can breathe outside of the water. The froglets will climb from the water and into a nearby tree of the rain forest canopy. After a few days, the froglet will lose its tail.
The froglets will be adults by the time they are 4 months old. The adult red-eyed tree frog is arboreal, which means that they will remain in the trees of the rain forest for most of their lives. In the wild, red-eyed tree frogs have been known to live for as long as 5 years.
