Ghost Glass Frog, the Crazy Eyes Frog

Sachatamia ilex  is commonly knowen as the Ghost Glass Frog or the Limon Giant Glass. the Ghost Glass Frog  is a medium-sized frog, reaching up to 37 mm in length.

The eyes are silver with black reticulations, and are positioned on top of the large semicircular head so that the eyes point directly forward . The pupils are horizontally elliptical . This frog also has prominent, protuberant nostrils located on a slightly elevated ridge on its head.

Sachatamia ilex occurs in Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. It is found mainly in the foothills of the Central and Talamanca Mountain ranges, as well as in a few locations on the northern Pacific slopes, at elevations up to 1420 m above sea level. It inhabits primary and secondary wet forests, and is found on large low-lying leaves, often in the spray zone of waterfalls or streams.

The Ghost Glass Frog is nocturnal and arboreal. During the daytime it sleeps on the top surface of exposed leaves. It is able to vary the intensity of its green coloration to match the substrate on which it is resting. Males call from the upper side of leaves, usually with the head facing the tip of the leaf. The call consists of a single high-pitched "click", repeated after intervals of several minutes. Females deposit black eggs on upper leaf surfaces overhanging a stream.

This species requires vegetative cover over streams and is thus vulnerable to habitat loss by deforestation. It occurs within protected areas in Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia.

The source: AmphibiaWeb