The Rancho Grande glass frog (Vitreorana antisthenesi).

Glass frogs are amphibians belonging to the Centrolenidae family, notable for their fragile appearance and often transparent bellies. The Rancho Grande glass frogVitreorana antisthenesi) is an endemic species of Venezuela that inhabits the cloud forests, montanes, and submontane forests of the Cordillera de la Costa and Serranía del Interior, in the north of the country. However, it is mainly found in the Henri Pittier National Park, known as Rancho Grande.

This species is distinguished by its green dorsal coloration with yellow spots and greenish bones. Through its translucent belly, its internal organs covered with white peritoneum can be seen. In addition, its skin shows beautiful blue flashes when the light reflects on it, a striking visual characteristic.

With nocturnal and arboreal in habits, V. antisthenesi lays its eggs hanging over streams at heights of up to three meters. Females choose the underside or back of leaves to protect their eggs. When they hatch, the tadpoles fall directly into the water, where they complete their development.

It prefers humid and well-preserved environments with high vegetation cover, such as mountain forests near water streams. Its ecological role includes the control of small invertebrates and being prey for birds and snakes, which makes it an important link in the food chain.

This frog is currently classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, due to the threats it faces in its environment, such as deforestation (due to agriculture and urbanization), water pollution, and climate change. In addition, its limited geographic distribution makes it especially vulnerable to these factors.

This work was presented at the 8th edition of the Scientific Illustration contest of IllustraCiencia.

Year: 2021
Technique: Digital illustration.
Illustration type: Scientific.
Type of project/Client: Personal.