Callulina stanleyi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Callulina stanleyi |
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The Callulina stanleyi is a special kind of frog. Scientists found this frog in 2010. They were exploring the rainforests in the northern Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. This frog is named after William T. Stanley, an American zoologist. He studied many amphibians in Tanzania. The Callulina stanleyi lives in only three spots. These spots are along the eastern edge of the Chome Forest Reserve. They are found at high places, between 1,100 and 1,300 meters (about 3,600 to 4,265 feet) above sea level. Sadly, this frog is "critically endangered". This means it is very close to disappearing forever.
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What Does the Callulina stanleyi Look Like?
Frogs from the Callulina group live only in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. They have short, blunt noses and plump bodies. Their skin is covered with small bumps called glandular warts.
The Callulina stanleyi is about 42 millimeters (1.7 inches) long. Its back is mostly brown. It has dark brown or black stripes that match on both sides. Its body has small bumps, and some larger bumps are light tan. Its belly is also light tan.
This frog has wide tips on its fingers and toes. These wide tips help tell it apart from other similar frogs. These include Callulina dawida, Callulina laphami, and Callulina shengena. Unlike some other Callulina frogs, C. stanleyi has visible eardrums (called tympani). It looks very much like Callulina kisiwamsitu. However, scientists can tell them apart by their calls and by studying their DNA.
Where Does the Callulina stanleyi Live?
The Callulina stanleyi is found in only three places. All these spots are on the eastern side of the Chome Forest Reserve. This reserve is in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. These frogs live at high altitudes. They are found between 1,100 and 1,300 meters (about 3,600 to 4,265 feet) high. The total area where they live is very small. It is only about 9.7 square kilometers (3.7 square miles).
Their home is a humid, tropical forest. This type of forest is called submontane forest. Scientists have also found them on the sides of roads at night.
How Does the Callulina stanleyi Live?
The C. stanleyi frog is active at night. You can find it on the ground. It also climbs around in low bushes. The first frog of this species ever found was in a rotten log during the day.
Scientists do not know much about how this frog breeds. However, studies suggest that it has a special way of developing. Instead of laying eggs that hatch into tadpoles, it likely lays eggs on land. These eggs then hatch directly into tiny frogs. There is no tadpole stage in between.
Why is the Callulina stanleyi Endangered?
This frog lives in a very small area. Even though its home is inside a protected forest, it is still in danger. The three known places where it lives are right next to the edge of the Chome Forest Reserve. More and more people are living near the reserve. This puts pressure on the forest.
Small-scale logging still happens in the reserve. Any changes to the frog's forest home can harm it. Because of these threats, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says this frog is "critically endangered". This means it faces a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.
