Anchieta's tree frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anchieta's tree frog |
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The Anchieta's tree frog (scientific name: Leptopelis anchietae) is a type of frog. It belongs to the Arthroleptidae family. This frog is also known as the Huila forest treefrog. You can only find it in Angola, which means it is endemic to that country. It is closely related to other tree frogs, like the West Cameroon forest tree frog and the Garamba forest tree frog.
What Does Anchieta's Tree Frog Look Like?
Anchieta's tree frog has a brown back and brown legs. Its legs have small white spots. The sides of its head and body are a darker brown color. Male Anchieta's tree frogs have special glands on their chest, called pectoral glands. Other frogs in the Leptopelis group also have these glands. Scientists are not sure what these glands do. However, they are similar to glands found in nuptial pads. Nuptial pads help male frogs hold onto females during mating. So, scientists think these pectoral glands might also be important for the frogs' mating process.
How Anchieta's Tree Frog Got Its Name
This frog was named after a person called José Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta. He was a Portuguese naturalist from the 1800s. A naturalist is someone who studies nature. Anchieta collected many different animals and plants in Angola and Mozambique. Another Portuguese zoologist, José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage, named the frog after him. Bocage and Anchieta often wrote letters to each other. Sadly, the original frog specimen that Anchieta collected was lost in a fire in 1978.
Where Do Anchieta's Tree Frogs Live?
Scientists do not have many records about where Anchieta's tree frogs live. They also do not know much about their daily behaviors. Experts believe these frogs are most common in areas that are about 1,000 meters (about 3,280 feet) above sea level. Other types of Leptopelis frogs bury their eggs in mud nests close to water. Because of this, scientists think Anchieta's tree frog might do the same thing.
