Anodonthyla jeanbai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anodonthyla jeanbai |
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| Anodonthyla jeanbai from Andohahela National Park | |
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Anodonthyla
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| Species: |
jeanbai
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Anodonthyla jeanbai is a special kind of frog that lives in trees. It belongs to the Microhylidae family. This frog is super colorful, meaning it can have many different patterns and shades. It's also quite unique because it doesn't seem to be closely related to other frogs in its group, Anodonthyla. You can only find this amazing frog in a small, high-up area in Madagascar.
Contents
What Does Anodonthyla jeanbai Look Like?
The Anodonthyla jeanbai frog has some special features that make it stand out.
- Color: It often has a yellowish color on its belly and underparts. This yellow can sometimes cover its whole underside. Its back and the back of its head are usually a uniform brown. The front of its head is a bit lighter brown.
- Markings: A thin, dark line runs down its back from its nose to its tail area. It also has two black spots near its hips. The area around its ear (tympanum) is light, with a dark fold above it.
- Legs: Its front legs usually don't have dark stripes, but its back legs do. The area around its tail is blackish. Its chest, throat, and the underside of its legs are a yellowish color, while its belly is more grayish.
- Patterns: Many of these frogs have a dark shape on their shoulders that looks like an hourglass. They might also have small, reddish-brown bumps scattered on their backs.
When these frogs are alive, their backs are light brown. The top parts of their arms and legs are a light reddish-brown, sometimes with faint, dark, irregular marks. This shows how A. jeanbai can be very polychromatic, meaning it has many different color forms.
Where Does Anodonthyla jeanbai Live?
This unique frog has only been found in one specific place. It lives in a high-up area within the Andohahela National Park. This park is located at the southern tip of Madagascar, in a region called Toliara.
What Kind of Home Does It Like?
The Anodonthyla jeanbai frog prefers to live in forests that are at higher elevations. These forests often have a lot of bamboo plants. At night, you can usually spot these frogs about 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet) high on the trunks of bamboo trees.
How Is It Related to Other Frogs?
When scientists look at the "family tree" of frogs, Anodonthyla jeanbai is very unique. It doesn't seem to have any clear close relatives within its own group, the Anodonthyla genus. Its DNA is quite different from other species, showing it's very isolated.
Why Is It Called Anodonthyla jeanbai?
This frog is named after a special person named Jean Baptiste (Jean-Ba) Ramanamanjato. He is a herpetologist from Madagascar, which means he studies amphibians and reptiles. Jean-Ba helped a lot by providing important information for the team that went to find this frog in the high-elevation area of Andohahela National Park.
See also
- Amphibians of Madagascar
