Red-eyed tree frog, Costa Rica 28 Jun 2017
About this photo
The red-eyed tree frog is one of the most colourful creatures found in the rainforests of Costa Rica. They spend most of their days sleeping on the underside of leaves and hiding all their colourful features but the bright green colour of their skin, so they can remain safe in their camouflage. They can change colour to a dark green or a reddish brown, depending on the leaf colour.
When preyed upon they reveal their red eyes, webbed orange feet and blue and yellow flanks, shocking the predators in a defence known as startle coloration. The hunter's eyes are over stimulated by the bright colours, momentarily paralysing predators and etching the image of the frog in their sight, which remains even when the frog has escaped. Try and spot the brightly coloured red-eyed tree frog on Insight Guides' Costa Rica Eco Adventure trip.
This article was originally published on 27 October, 2015
