Cave squeaker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cave squeaker |
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The cave squeaker (scientific name: Arthroleptis troglodytes) is a tiny frog that belongs to the Arthroleptidae family. This special frog lives only in the Chimanimani Mountains in Zimbabwe, Africa. When an animal or plant lives only in one specific place, it is called endemic.
These frogs like to live in subtropical or tropical grasslands high up in the mountains. They also make their homes in caves. Not much is known about the cave squeaker, but scientists know it's different from other common frogs.
One amazing thing about the cave squeaker is how it grows. Unlike most frogs that start as tadpoles in water, the cave squeaker skips this stage! Its eggs hatch directly into tiny froglets that look like miniature adults. This means they don't need ponds or streams to lay their eggs, as long as the spot is damp.
This frog is quite small, growing to about 25 mm long. That's about the size of a quarter! Its fingers and toes have slightly swollen tips. The top of its body is light brown with dark spots on its head. The rest of its back is dark brown with irregular dark marks. Its arms and legs have strong bands of color.
Why is the Cave Squeaker in Danger?
The cave squeaker is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This means it is very close to disappearing forever. There are several reasons why this frog is in so much trouble:
- It lives in a very small area, less than 100 square kilometers.
- All known cave squeakers live in just one location.
- Scientists worry that the number of adult frogs might keep going down.
- Climate change and other unknown threats could be making their habitat unsafe.
Rediscovery: A Frog Returns After 50 Years!
For over 50 years, no one had seen a cave squeaker. Many people thought it might be extinct. But in February 2017, something exciting happened! Scientists from the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe announced a big discovery.
In December 2016, they found and caught four cave squeaker frogs. This was the first time anyone had seen them since 1962! The discovery happened near Chimanimani, in the mountainous eastern part of Zimbabwe.
The researchers had a plan to help these rare frogs. They wanted to breed the frogs in a safe environment. After the frogs had babies, some would be released back into the wild. This effort aims to help the cave squeaker population grow and survive.
