Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Agalychnis callidryas

A bright green Central American tree frog with big red eyes, blue sides and orange feet.

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About the Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Red-eyed tree frogs live in warm, humid lowland rainforests from southern Mexico through Central America, often near rivers. Adult females are about 3 inches long and males about 2. They are bright green with blue legs, red-orange feet and bright red eyes, and suction-cup toes help them cling under leaves. They eat crickets, moths, flies and grasshoppers.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Agalychnis callidryas^[1]
Size: Females about 3 inches; males about 2 inches.^[1]
Diet: Carnivore. Crickets, moths, flies, grasshoppers and sometimes small frogs.^[1]
Habitat: Humid lowland tropical rainforest near water.^[1]
Where it lives: Southern Mexico through Central America.^[1]
Group life: Nocturnal.^[1]
Babies: Eggs laid on leaves over water; tadpoles drop in.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).^[2]

Fun facts

Red-eyed tree frog eggs can hatch early to escape a snake.^[1]
Young frogs are brown and turn green as they grow.^[1]
Males quiver to warn rivals away.^[1]

Vocabulary

startle coloration: Bright colors suddenly shown to surprise a predator.
amplexus: When a male frog holds onto a female while she lays eggs.
nocturnal: Active mainly at night.
tadpole: A young frog or toad that lives in water and breathes with gills.
chytrid: A fungus that infects the skin of amphibians and can kill them.

See it in person

San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · AmphibiansSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

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] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Red-eyed tree frog.” https://www.sfzoo.org/red-eyed-tree-frog/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Agalychnis callidryas (Red-eyed Treefrog).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/55290/3028059 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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