Black Throated Treefrog

Black throated treefrog
Bahijan treefrog, I can taste colors!
Information
Natural Habitat:	Forests and streams of Bahija
Classification:	Amphibian
Average Size:	2-3" long
Average Weight:	.24oz
Coloring:	Virtually any color of the rainbow. Always has black spots and blue eyes
Distinguishing Features:	Black throat, spots. Vivid color, blue eyes, produces hallucinogenic toxins that cover skin, can produce strong neurotoxins when harassed

The black throated treefrog has been a source of entertainment for young and teenage Bahijans alike for thousands of years. Some adults get a kick out of the hallucinogenic toxins, especially at parties, but find more use out of the more dangerous side of this frog: neurotoxins. Frogs can produce either toxin at will and which is created depends on the animal's state of mind and well-being. Cultivated frogs, bred to be more docile and likely to not kill a user, are preferred over the wild ones, who are more likely to feel threatened by harassment, in recreational use. But when used to gather poison for hunting the wild frog is sought out.

The toxins make them invaluable and a hot source of trade. The relative lack of restriction makes their purchase and use minimally dangerous. A breeder is likely to have experience and a good reputation if they're to compete in the market. But should someone decide to cut corners and buy a specimen from some random person on the street the outcome can be less than desirable.

Shaman and medicine men also revere the treefrog for their uses both medicinal and spiritual. It is reported that if their psychotropic toxin is taken into the bloodstream it can slow bloodloss during what would normally be a mortal injury so attempt to save the victim's life can be preformed. The toxin is also a strong painkiller. In addition to that memories are often not formed correctly while an individual is under the influence, making surgeries easier, though the patient must be restrained to keep them from becoming active during a treatment. Only specially bred frogs from successful lines of breeders are used by professionals.

Description

All frogs are roughly the same size but vary in color depending on which island they originate from. Hybrids have been created and it can either muddle their coloration or turn them into as much of a trip as they can create. No matter the breeding the black markings remain. There is no sexual dimorphism to distinguish males from females aside from the females being slightly heavier. Their abdomens are rounded whereas the males have a narrow body.

Small, light, delicate and quick. They're like many other lightweight frogs in that they actively try to escape anything that can potentially injure them. Their poisons are a last line of defense and using it as a defense will likely result in their injury. They have no teeth to speak of, claws, and rely solely on their ability to jump long distances and bright colors to communicate that they aren't a food source.

Prey items include: maggots, small flies, beetles, caterpillars and any other insect that they can fit into their belly. They are not voracious eaters and only consume one or two insects a week. They are patient hunters and wait for a potential meal to enter their immediate area before pouncing it. Should the item be too large to finish in one gulp they use their eyes, squeezing them shut and forcing them inwards, and forelimbs to push the meal down.

Habitat

All across the string of Bahijan islands. They fare well in the more forested areas but have also been able to survive in grasslands, that have sufficient water, and in clear streams. The only place they cannot exist is in places that have access to only saltwater. Like most amphibians they require freshwater for survival.

As the islands all vary slightly in flora and climate but the basic needs remain the same: freshwater, foliage to hide, live, and hunt in, and a moist place to deposit and rear their young in.

• Bahijan mainland: Blue. Found on the easternmost part of the island, where the forests are the thickest, they make their homes high up in the canopy. Females typically find and stake a claim on the largest bromeliad they can locate. The 'cup' formed by the leaves, growing in a tight ring with a hollow center, forms small pools of water. These are perfect for laying and raising young in. They're also reliable sources of water so are treasured by the frogs. Females will fight in a test of strength and shoving to protect their homes and allow males to visit only long enough to mate. The female takes great care of her brood. She chases off would-be attackers, other females looking to steal her roost, and brings them back tiny insects once their eggsac is spent. Should her bromeliad dry out she'll carry her young, one by one, to a new home if she's able to find one. Young frogs, once past the tadpole stage, leave to begin their own life and find a plant of their own.

• Ou'olokhau: Yellow. Native to the grasslands that cover this hilly island. They favor the many narrow streams that cross the land and often move from one region to another with ease. More tolerant to dry conditions, they can last up to two weeks without a proper soak, without drying out like the other varieties would. These keep no homes and are constantly on the move. They have slightly thicker skin, bumps like a toad, and feed on small insects, fish eggs and fry. Twice a year the island is alive with the sound of the treefrogs barking in the attempts to catch a potential mate's attention. The male latches onto a receptive female and they both claim a spot in the nearest stream. The male fertilizes her eggs as she lays them. Neither party makes any attempt to raise the young and may even eat the slower moving tadpoles should they meet again.

• Niikau: Red. These reside in higher elevations. They are much more rare than the other varieties because there is only one stream that runs diagonally across the island. Space is limited and there's also a species of flightless bird, the stiltwalker, that preys on them. As a result of this their neurotoxins are more potent than an average treefrog

• Kaanii: Green. The island of Kaanii is an oddity and nearly flat. This is one of the younger islands and is still mainly rock. Layers of sediment and deposits from the sea, excrement from birds, and dead vegetation have altered the landscape so it's a dark grey in color. Curious depressions have formed in the ground over years that have been made deeper by the aquatic Bahijan penguins roosting in them and building up the sides with stacked rock. These pools of water, turned down by the birds in favor of fresh dry ones, are now the homes of the green variation of treefrog. They stay filled by frequent rainwater and are shared by many frogs and are a communal resource as there are quite a few more bodies than pools. They live and mate in ponds. Rearing fertilized eggs is also a group effort. One or two adults are present at all times and even hunt in rotation.

• Ahuwai: Five orange spots arranged in the pattern of a number dice (2, 1, 2 when viewed upright). Another species from the canopy but they reside on the limb of a tree most of their adult life. This is made possible by thick moss that covers their favored trees and their ability to squirm and wiggle their way into the moss, creating small hides, to live in. The spotted treefrog is a slow mover and only comes out when the rain falls and humidity is high or to feast on a bug unfortunate to walk close to their home. They seldom venture into the world and that's only when they're forced to by starvation or the urge to mate. Once a year they trill high-pitched songs through the treetops. It's an almost eerie thing to be present for as the noise slowly creeps towards the forest floor. When they reach the ground they set to work haphazardly depositing eggs and sperm into ponds before ascending the trees once more. Whether any eggs are fertilized depends on a particular frog's luck and whether or not a male visited the same pool in a reasonable amount of time. Young feed off their yolk and mature in the small ponds until it's time to leave. Before taking their roost up above they spend a couple of months hiding in the moss and leaf litter to build up their fat stores and take on the rotund appearance of their parents.

• Molokhoa: Yellow (dorsal) fading to green (ventral).

• Kuranai: Orange.

• Kala'keal: Blue (head) fading to red (rear).

• Le Na Mokuli'i: Instead of the normal dorsal spots it has stripes. Body color is a shimmering mix of the typical colors.

Breeding Habits

As mentioned above virtually all of the types of black throated treefrog vary and have evolved in their method to egg laying and rearing of young according to their surroundings. Some attract a mate by sound, some by dance. Others have a specific place to congregate and others wait for happenstance to bring a suitable mate to their territory. A few are good mothers and rear their offspring to adulthood and others simply cast their fertilized eggs to the waterways and hope for the best. The only constant is that eggs are laid, in clusters, and in a body of water. Tadpoles hatch and feed off their yolk sacs until they can hunt. Their tails disappear quickly as they begin to resemble their parents. Within a month or two they're ready to thrive in their native habitat.