This frog does not get very sick from the chytridiomycosis fungal disease the way many other frogs do. Scientists found that the microbiota of hourglass tree frogs, which is all the bacteria and other microorganisms that live on and in the frog's body, is different from the microbiota of other frogs. Scientists think this might protect the hourglass tree frog from chytridiomycosis but they are not sure.