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A bright green lemur leaf frog with orange hands on a leaf.
Photo: Frogmana, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lemur Leaf Frog

Agalychnis lemur

A critically endangered, color-changing tree frog of Central America that lays its eggs on leaves over water.

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About the Lemur Leaf Frog

Lemur leaf frogs are small: females are about 1.5 to 2 inches and males a bit smaller. They are yellowish green with dark spots, yellow hands and feet, white bellies and a black ring around each eye. They live in Costa Rica, Panama and parts of Colombia, in humid mountain forests. They eat insects and other small invertebrates.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Agalychnis lemur[1]
Size
About 1.2 to 2 inches long; females larger.[1]
Lifespan
About 5 to 10 years.[1]
Diet
Insects and other small invertebrates.[1]
Habitat
Humid forests on mountain slopes.[1]
Where it lives
Costa Rica, Panama and parts of Colombia.[1]
Group life
Territorial. Nocturnal.[1]
Babies
Clutches of 15 to 20 eggs laid on leaves over water.[1]
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2019).[2]

Fun facts

  • Rain helps lemur leaf frog tadpoles wiggle out of their eggs.[1]
  • They can change color at night.[1]
  • Males warn each other with short 'tick' calls.[1]

Vocabulary

amphibian
A cold-blooded animal, such as a frog or salamander, that usually starts life in water and has moist skin.
amplexus
The mating hug in which a male frog holds a female.
tadpole
A young frog that lives in water and breathes with gills.
arboreal
Living mostly in trees.
critically endangered
A conservation label meaning a species faces an extremely high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

  1. [1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Lemur leaf frog.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/lemur-leaf-frog (accessed 2026-10-08)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Agalychnis lemur (Lemur Leaf Frog).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/55855/3033153 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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