Atlantihyla melissa

Atlantihyla melissa is a frog.  It lives in Honduras.  Scientists have seen it between 780 and 1680 meters above sea level in the Cordillera Nombre de Dios mountains.  This place is in a park called Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat.

Appearance

The adult male frog is 30.4 - 38.8 mm long from nose to rear end and the adult female frog is 30.9 - 43.9 mm long.

This frog can be many colors.  Some frogs have spots and some do not.  Most frogs have a stripe down the sides of their bodies, which can be light or bright yellow.  Adult male frogs look different from adult female frogs.  Adult male frogs can have pink eyes or red eyes.  Adult female frogs have green eyes or brown eyes.

Home

These frogs live near streams and rivers where the water moves fast and the bottom of the river is covered in rocks.  People have seen these frogs sitting on plants that hang over the water.  Because the adult frogs hide, scientists have heard the male frogs even when they have not seen them.

Tadpoles

The tadpole can grow to be 47.1 mm long before becoming a frog.  The tadpole has a large mouth disk on the bottom of its body.  The young frogs climb out of the water in July or July.

Threats

This frog only lives in one place.  Because human beings cut down trees and build things in that place, this frog is in danger of dying out.

Name

Scientists named this frog for Isis Melissa Medina-Flores.  Medina-Flores is a life scientist.  She helped study this frog and other frogs nearby.  In 2016, she disappeared in the mountains.

References

Category:Frogs of North America