Morelet’s tree frog, Agalychnis moreletii, is a leaf frog of Central American and southern Mexican forests, recognisable by its green back and large eyes. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, where in Mexico it occurs on both the Atlantic and Pacific slopes of Veracruz, north to Cuetzalan in Puebla and south through Chiapas and Oaxaca.
Identification
Like other members of its genus, A. moreletii has a smooth green back and large, prominent eyes, the combination that gives the Commons image of the species its field mark. The facts box carries its taxonomic placement, in the family Hylidae and genus Agalychnis alongside the red-eyed and lemur leaf frogs.
Habitat and range
The species lives in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and freshwater marshes, including intermittent freshwater marshes. That spread of forest and wetland habitat runs the length of its range, from Veracruz in Mexico south through Chiapas and Oaxaca into Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.
Behaviour and breeding
A. moreletii breeds during the summer, when males call to attract mates. Females judge potential partners by their calls, preferring the longest calls with the most frequent pitch pulses. A clutch of 50-75 green-pigmented eggs is deposited on vegetation or rocks over water; on hatching, the larvae drop into the water below to complete their development, the same leaf-to-pond strategy used across the genus.
Conservation
The facts box carries the species’ current IUCN Red List category, Least Concern, reflecting its broad range across five countries. That listing has a caveat: the species is threatened by chytridiomycosis and by habitat destruction from industry and agriculture, and it is abundant enough to be kept as a pet internationally. Population projections cited by Wikipedia point to a possible decline of over 80% within 10 years, a warning sign despite the current listing.
Similar species
Within its range, A. moreletii shares its green body and large eyes with other leaf frogs in the genus Agalychnis, such as the red-eyed A. callidryas, which is distinguished by its red eyes and blue-and-yellow flank bars, and the blue-flanked A. annae. Morelet’s tree frog lacks the bold eye and flank colouring of those relatives, making its plainer green colouring and large eyes the more reliable field marks within its own range.