Glass Frogs: Centrolenidae

Physical characteristics: Unlike most glass frogs, Lynch's Cochran frog is not green. This small frog is usually tan, although it is sometimes greenish brown, and has small, orange- or yellow-centered black spots on its back, head, and legs. Its body and all four legs are thin. The back legs are quite long and have webbed toes. The toes on both the front and back legs end in large, round pads. Its skin is smooth, except for numerous low, white warts. Its head has very large eyes pointed toward the front and a wide, rounded snout. Its bones are light green. Females are usually about an inch (2.42 to 2.44 centimeters) long from snout to rump. Males grow to 0.9 to 1.0 inches (2.23 to 2.54 centimeters) in length.

Lynch's Cochran frog lives in the western Andes Mountains of Colombia. (Illustration by Emily Damstra. Reproduced by permission.)

Geographic range: Lynch's Cochran frog lives in the western Andes Mountains of Colombia.

Habitat: This frog makes its home around streams in mountain cloud forests from 6,230 to 6,430 feet (1,900 to 1,960 meters) above sea level.

Diet: Its diet is unknown.

Behavior and reproduction: Scientists know little about its behavior, but if it is like many other glass frogs, it probably hides in plants during the day and becomes active at night. To mate, the males attract females with their call, which is a repeated chirping sound. The males call from plants above streams.

Lynch's Cochran frogs and people: Few people have ever seen this frog.

Conservation status: The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists this frog as Near Threatened, which means that it is at risk of becoming threatened with extinction in the future. This is a common species, but it lives in a small area. Fortunately, most of the area falls within national parks, where the land is protected. Conservationists are still concerned that global warming may affect the future of this frog. A warmer climate may cause weather that is too dry for this species. ∎