Archey's frog facts for kids

Archey's frog, Leiopelma archeyi, is a very old and special type of frog. It lives only on the North Island of New Zealand. This frog is one of only three kinds left from a family called Leiopelmatidae.

Scientists call Archey's frogs "living fossils." This is because they have changed very little over the last 200 million years! The frog was named after Sir Gilbert Archey, who used to be in charge of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. You can find these rare frogs only in the Coromandel Peninsula and near Te Kuiti in New Zealand.

Life of Archey's Frogs

Archey's frogs live entirely on land. They make their homes and have their babies under damp plants in native forests. Today, you can only find them in high places in two areas. But about 25 years ago, they lived in many more places, even down by the sea!

Family Life

Male Archey's frogs are amazing dads! They are believed to be the main caregivers for their young. They might even prepare special "nests" for the eggs and guard them. They can put a special liquid on the eggs to help them grow well.

A female frog usually lays between four and 15 eggs. These eggs develop on land, not in water. Inside their jelly-like capsules, the baby frogs grow. When they hatch, they are tiny froglets with tails!

Growing Up

After hatching, the little froglets crawl onto the male frog's back. He carries them around for several weeks. During this time, they finish changing into young frogs.

How They Talk

Unlike many frogs, Archey's frogs do not make loud croaking sounds to find mates. They might use special smells to communicate with each other. However, if a predator scares them, they sometimes make a sudden "startle call."

Saving Archey's Frogs

Archey's frogs are in great danger of disappearing forever. Their numbers have dropped very quickly. For example, in one area, the population went down by 88% in just five years (from 1996 to 2001). In many places where these frogs used to be common, there are none left now.

Threats to Frogs

One big concern is a disease called chytridiomycosis. This disease affects amphibians around the world. Even though Archey's frogs seem to be a bit resistant to it, some frogs in the wild still show signs of illness.

Other animals also threaten Archey's frogs. Rats are known to kill them. An introduced frog species, the green and golden bell frog, can also harm them. Other animals brought to New Zealand, like pigs, cats, hedgehogs, and ferrets, might also hunt these rare frogs.

Helping Them Survive

To help save Archey's frogs, scientists started a special breeding program. In 2002, the University of Canterbury began raising them in captivity. The frogs successfully bred there.

Later, in 2005, the program moved to Auckland Zoo. While there were some challenges, some of the remaining frogs did have babies in December 2012. This was a very important step in trying to save the species.

Archey's frog is listed as "Critically Endangered" on the IUCN Red List. This means it faces a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild. People are working hard to protect these unique "living fossils" for the future.

See also

In Spanish: Leiopelma archeyi para niños

Images for kids

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  An Archey's frog sitting on a leaf.