Living Gold of a Rainforest Frog

Explanation: This speck of living gold -- hardly larger than my thumbnail -- is one of the treasures of the tropics.

Although common and widespread in west central Africa, the male of the cinnamon-bellied reed frog has eyes of gold, a body of bronze, and lines of yellow and black, giving it a quite striking appearance and contrasting with the nearly all-green female.

In fact, some sources refer to the species as the "dimorphic reed frog," meaning "two forms" because males and females are so dissimilar.

African reed frogs belong the Old World tree frog family Hyperoliidae.

In an earlier EPOW episode, we encountered another gem of a reed frog species also in the Congo, with striking red coloration.

African tree frogs, like their New World cousins, have expanded
toe pads that serve to grip slick vertical surfaces.

The bright lateral line probably serves as "disruptive coloration,"
helping to break up the body outline, so that predators
might not readily recognize the frog as prey.

EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week