Black rain frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black rain frog |
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The Breviceps fuscus, also known as the black rain frog, is a special kind of frog. It's also called the plain rain frog or brown short-headed frog. This unique frog belongs to the Brevicipitidae family. You can only find it along the southern coast of South Africa.
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What Does the Black Rain Frog Look Like?
The black rain frog has a very round body. It has short legs and toes. Its feet point inwards, which helps it dig into the ground easily. These frogs usually grow to be about 40 to 51 millimetres (1.6 to 2 inches) long. They can live for 4 to 15 years.
Skin and Colour
Their skin is smooth, without warts. But it does have small bumps or pits. Black rain frogs are usually dark brown or almost black. Their belly is a bit lighter. They don't have any patterns on their skin. Their squat body and short legs make them look a bit like an avocado!
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Front view of black rain frog
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Side view of black rain frog
Where Do Black Rain Frogs Live?
This frog species lives only on the southern slopes of the Cape Fold Belt. You can find them from Swellendam to the Outeniqua Mountains. They live at heights of over 1000 metres (3,300 feet).
Their Home
The black rain frog is a burrowing animal. This means it digs tunnels and lives underground. It likes areas with fynbos plants and the edges of forests. Unlike many frogs, it does not need open water to live. They often choose to live near loose sand piles because it's easier to dig there.
How Do Black Rain Frogs Behave?
The black rain frog spends most of its time underground. It can dig tunnels up to 150 millimetres (6 inches) deep. Sometimes, you might find them among plants up to 30 centimetres (12 inches) above the ground. They generally try to avoid water.
Night Life
These frogs are mostly nocturnal. This means they are active at night. When it gets dark, the black rain frog comes out of its burrow. It searches for food and sometimes finds a mate.
How Do Black Rain Frogs Reproduce?
Male black rain frogs make a special call. They call from inside their burrows, or from plants above ground. Sometimes, they even guard their eggs while calling. Their call is a short "chirp" that lasts about 0.2 seconds.
Laying Eggs
The female frog lays her eggs inside burrows. These burrows have small openings, about 15 millimetres (0.6 inches) wide. The nests are about 30–40 millimetres (1.2–1.6 inches) deep. Each nest has about 42 to 43 yellow eggs. Each egg is about 5 millimetres (0.2 inches) wide.
Baby Frogs
Black rain frogs have a special way of developing. They don't have a tadpole stage like many other frogs. Instead, the young frogs hatch directly from the eggs. They look like tiny versions of the adult frogs. These little ones are called froglets.
How Do Black Rain Frogs Survive?
Black rain frogs have many ways to protect themselves from predators. Unlike other frogs, they cannot jump or swim away from danger. This is because of their unique body shape.
Defence Mechanisms
- Burrowing: They can dig into the ground very quickly, up to 20 centimetres (8 inches) deep.
- Puffing Up: When they feel threatened, they can puff up their bodies. This makes them look up to 7 times bigger! This trick helps to scare off predators like bush pigs, birds, and snakes.
- Jamming in Burrows: They can also puff up inside their burrows. This makes it hard for snakes to pull them out.
- Distress Call: If they are in danger, they make a short, high-pitched chirp.
- Lumps: They have small lumps all over their body. It's thought that these lumps might make predators think the frog is poisonous, even though it's not believed to be.
Protecting the Black Rain Frog
The black rain frog is common in its local area. However, we don't know the exact number of these frogs. They don't do well when their habitat is disturbed.
Threats to Their Home
Things that threaten them include:
- Habitat Loss: When forests are planted where they live, or when foreign plants spread.
- Fires: Too many fires can also harm their homes.
Even with these threats, much of their habitat is protected. They live in several special protected areas.
What Do Black Rain Frogs Eat?
Like many other frogs, the black rain frog is an insectivore. This means it eats insects. They feed on small insects, spiders, insect larvae, and worms. Crickets are a very important part of their diet. If they eat crickets that are too big, it can cause problems for their digestion. This can even be dangerous for them.
How Was the Black Rain Frog Classified?
The black rain frog was first described by John Hewitt in 1925. This happened after a frog was found in Knysna. The name fuscus means dark, which refers to the frog's usual dark brown or black colour.
Originally, the black rain frog was thought to be part of the Microhylidae family. But later research showed that the Brevicipitidae family should be its own group. The black rain frog and other frogs like it were then placed in this new family.
