Harlequin Frog (!!school project!!)

The Harlequin Frog 1

The Harlequin frog, Atelopus varius, or in the scientific term Oophaga histrionica, is a poisonous frog that lives in Costa Rica and Panama in far southern Central America. They live in moist forests in valleys and partway up the sides of mountains.

Harlequin frogs spend a lot of time by the water hiding from big birds that would swoop down from the trees nearby and grab us by their beaks. They also live on the forest floor. The Harlequin tadpoles have to dodge from fish and hide by leaf litter, twigs, and bark. The frogs are usually found sitting on rocks and logs near a stream or in rock crevices during the day. They cannot be touched with bare skin but can be handled with gloves. If the poison enters the bloodstream, the person or prey would be dead in under 10 minutes. The only known species that is resistant to it is a snake.

The Harlequin frog is an amphibian. Some animals have fur, like kangaroos and squirrels. The Harlequin frogs do not. They have lycra-like skin. They absorb water through their skin. They are different than a lot of animals because most animals have to bend down by the water and drink through their mouths and the Harlequin Frogs dont have to.

Reptiles have dry, hard and scaly skin while Harlequin frogs have smooth and sticky skin. They are different to other classes because they are small vertebrates that need water, or a moist environment to survive. The species in the amphibian group include frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts. Amphibians also have special skin that produce useful proteins.