Species profile
About this species
The Red-eyed Tree Frog is a strikingly colourful arboreal amphibian native to the rainforests of Central America & parts of southern Mexico. It is instantly recognisable by its vivid green body, bright red eyes, orange feet & blue-and-yellow striped flanks. Despite its eye-catching appearance, it is not venomous & relies on its startling colouration to momentarily disorient predators through a defence mechanism known as startle colouration.
Red-eyed Tree Frogs inhabit tropical & subtropical lowland rainforests, typically near ponds, streams & other standing water sources at elevations from sea level up to around 1,250 metres, primarily across Central America including Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras & southern Mexico.
Where to photograph
Where our trips feature this species
You can photograph Red-eyed Tree Frog with us in Costa Rica.
These departures are part of our Central America programme.
In the field, David Miles helps guests make the most of these encounters.
Field notes
Photography notes
The best time to photograph Red-eyed Tree Frogs is at night during the rainy season from May to November, when they are most active & can be found calling & breeding near ponds & slow-moving water sources.
Use a macro lens in the 90-105mm range to capture fine detail in the eyes & skin texture without disturbing the frog. Shoot at night with a ring flash or off-camera flash to bring out the vivid colours & achieve a sharp focus on the iconic red eyes. Position yourself at eye level with the frog on a leaf or branch to create a natural & engaging composition, using a narrow depth of field to separate the subject from the background.
Available holidays
Trips featuring Red-eyed Tree Frog
The holidays below are pulled from the same species relationship, so the guide stays tied to live departures rather than becoming a static article.
