Bocage's tree frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bocage's tree frog |
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Cystignathus bocagii Günther, 1865 "1864" |
The Bocage's tree frog (scientific name: Leptopelis bocagii) is a type of frog. It belongs to a family of frogs called Arthroleptidae. You can find this frog in many parts of Africa. It lives in countries like Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, and Kenya. It might also live in other places like Botswana and Nigeria.
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What Does Bocage's Tree Frog Look Like?
Bocage's tree frog is a fairly large frog. Most of the year, it lives underground in a burrow. Male frogs can grow to about 50 millimeters (2 inches) long. Female frogs are a bit bigger, reaching about 58 millimeters (2.3 inches).
Colors and Markings
The top part of this frog is usually brown. It often has a darker brown patch on its back. This patch might even go up onto its head. Sometimes, the patch looks like a dark M or N shape on its back.
Feet and Young Frogs
Its toes don't have much webbing between them. The pads on its toes, called discs, are also very small or missing. When the frog is young, it looks different. Young Bocage's tree frogs have a green or greenish-brown back.
Where Do Bocage's Tree Frogs Live?
Bocage's tree frog looks a lot like another frog, the Lake Upemba forest tree frog. Scientists think they might be part of a group of very similar species. Both frogs live in some of the same areas. However, Bocage's tree frog lives in a much wider range. You can find it from Ethiopia in the north all the way down to Namibia and Zambia in the south.
Favorite Homes
These frogs usually live in grassland and savannah areas. They can be found in both wet and dry types of these habitats.
How Do Bocage's Tree Frogs Live?
Bocage's tree frog mostly lives on the ground. It spends a lot of its time digging and staying in burrows. This means it can be hard to spot them, especially when it's not the breeding season.
Frog Calls and Breeding
When a male frog calls, it usually does so from the ground. Sometimes, it might call from low plants. Its call sounds like an "atonal waaab." This means it doesn't have a clear musical note. Sometimes, it repeats the call right away.
These frogs breed during the rainy season. They lay their eggs in temporary pools of water. The eggs are laid in a hole in the ground, very close to the water's edge.
Is Bocage's Tree Frog in Danger?
Bocage's tree frog is a common type of frog. It lives in a very large area. Scientists believe there are many of these frogs in total. They can also live in places that humans have changed. This means they don't face any big threats right now.
Because of these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has looked at its situation. They have decided that its conservation status is "least concern." This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.
