Osgood's Ethiopian toad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Osgood's Ethiopian toad |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
The Osgood's Ethiopian toad (Altiphrynoides osgoodi) is a special kind of toad. It used to be called Spinophrynoides osgoodi. This toad lives only in the mountains of south-central Ethiopia. This means it is endemic to that area.
Sadly, this toad might be extinct, which means there are no more left. It was named after an American scientist named Wilfred Hudson Osgood. He explored Ethiopia in 1926 and 1927. Mr. Osgood found the first Osgood's Ethiopian toads. He also found three other types of anurans, which are animals like frogs and toads.
Where the Osgood's Toad Lives
This toad used to be common in the Bale Mountains National Park. It also lived in other mountain areas east of the Great Rift Valley. There was a report of some toads living in the Gughe Mountains too. However, this was based on only one toad, which might have been a different species.
If we don't count the Gughe Mountains, this toad's home area was quite small. It covered about 56 square kilometers.
Its Home and Habits
Osgood's Ethiopian toad mostly lived in tropical montane forests. These are forests found in mountain regions. It might have also lived a little bit in open moorland, which is a type of open land with low-growing plants.
Scientists once saw these toads breeding in April. They were in a small pool of water. This pool was probably only there for a short time. It was in a grassy area surrounded by Hypericum woodland. The toads laid long strings of eggs. These eggs then hatched into tadpoles.
Why the Osgood's Toad is in Danger
This toad is very rare. The last time anyone saw one was in 2003. Scientists looked for them a lot in 2009, but they didn't find any. If any are still alive, there are probably fewer than 50 of them.
The biggest threat to these toads is habitat loss. People are using the forests where they live for farming and other needs. This destroys the toad's home. A fungus called Chytrid fungus is also a problem for amphibians in Ethiopia. We don't know for sure how much it has affected Osgood's Ethiopian toad.
