Common Name: Burrowes’ Giant Glass Frog, Golden-flecked Glass Frog, Gold Dust Glass Frog
Scientific Name: Centrolene ballux
Family: Centrolenidae – Glass Frog family
Location: Colombia and Ecuador
Female Size: 0.8 – 0.9 inches (21 – 23 mm)
Male Size: 0.7 – 0.9 inches (19 – 22 mm)
The Burrowes’ Giant Glass Frog lives in the vegetation along streams in humid, montane forests. The frog uses its clear skin to camouflage itself amongst the leaves on a tree. I have no idea why its called the Burrowes’ Giant Glass Frog since its not even a large species of Glass Frog.
During the mating season, the male frogs let out high pitched trill from leaves overhanging the stream to attract the female frogs. Once the female frog arrives, the male grasps her from behind in amplexus. Then, the female frog lays her eggs on the leaf and the male frog fertilizes them. She lays around 20 eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the tadpoles drop into the stream below where they will complete their metamorphosis.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Burrowes’ Giant Glass Frog as Endangered with Extinction. The main threats to the frog include deforestation for farming, logging, and introduction of fish to the streams. Luckily, the frog lives in 2 protected areas: Reserva La Planada in Colombia and Reserva Las Gralarias in Ecuador. However, more protections for the species is needed to save them.