water. When the eggs hatch the tadpoles drop into the small pools of water below. Depending on the temperature, food, and water supply tadpoles will usually drop into the water at around 7 days and the metamorphosis, 90–150 days. Hatching The tadpoles can prematurely hatch when there is danger that could be eaten by predators. Vibration from predators or rain cause the tadpoles to hatch prematurely, in order to escape attack or hatch when they can be washed into water below. Tadpoles Preserved tadpoles are bluish-gray with an opaque body while the dorsal and ventral fins are transparent. However, in life their overall color is greenish gray with a white abdomen. Tadpoles on earlier stages are smaller, slender, and less pigmented, and some even show an evident dark stripe between the eyes and nostrils. Population Although the lemur leaf frog was once considered a common species in Costa Rica it has declined. With more than an 80% decrease in population in a period of 10 years it is now closely being monitored in Panama where it is still abundant in the lower elevations of central and eastern parts of the country. However, there have been no further reports on the populations of these lemur frogs endemic to Columbia. Due to their marked drop in population these species of lemurs has been listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature since 2004. Related causes that may be linked to the disappearance of these frogs are chytridiomycosis (a disease affecting only amphibians contacting with zoospores of the Chytrid fungus) and general loss of habitat from deforestation. Resistance to chytridiomycosis Chytrid fungus has been plaguing amphibians globally resulting in a number of amphibian extinctions. Researchers are currently using non-invasive imaging technology to better understand how a specific species of tree frogs in Central America are proving resilience to this fungus. Scientist are attributing tree frog's ability to withstand the deadly fungus to their unusual skin which allows the frogs to bask in the hot sunlight boosting their temperatures adequately enough to kill off the fungus. While typically a frog's long exposure to sunlight would dry out its skin, this species of tree frog in Costa Rica thrives under the high temperature conditions. Scientists believe these tree frogs are able to thrive under these harsh conditions, which normally negatively affect frogs because of their skins ability to reflect the sunlight,