Pichincha giant glass frog facts for kids
Centrolene heloderma is a special kind of frog that lives in the Andes mountains of Colombia and Ecuador. It's part of a group of frogs called Centrolenidae, often known as "glass frogs." This frog has a few cool nicknames, like the Pichincha giant glass frog or the bumpy glassfrog. It gets the "bumpy" name because its skin isn't smooth!
Quick facts for kids Pichincha giant glass frog |
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Centrolenella heloderma Duellman, 1981 |
Contents
Where This Frog Lives
This bumpy glassfrog can be found in two South American countries. In Colombia, it has been seen on the western side of the Cordillera Occidental mountain range. This includes areas in the Cauca, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca regions.
In Ecuador, you can find it in the western Andes. Specifically, it lives in the Pichincha and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Provinces. These areas are known for their beautiful mountain forests.
What the Bumpy Glassfrog Looks Like
Centrolene heloderma frogs are quite small, but they are considered large for their specific group of glass frogs. Male frogs are about 27 to 32 millimeters long from their snout to their rear. That's about the length of a small paperclip! We only have measurements for one female, and she was about 32 millimeters long.
These frogs are a uniform green color on their back, which is called the dorsum. What makes them unique are the whitish bumps, or tubercles, that cover their green skin. Their snout has a distinct blunt shape.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Female bumpy glassfrogs lay their eggs on the top side of leaves. They choose leaves that are very high up, far from the water below. A single female can lay up to 29 eggs at one time.
Once the eggs hatch, the tiny tadpoles drop down from the leaves. They fall into fast-flowing streams or rivers below. This is where the tadpoles continue to grow and develop into young frogs.
Habitat and Conservation
The bumpy glassfrog lives in the higher parts of cloud forests. These are special forests that are often covered in clouds or mist. This frog only lives in forests that are old and untouched by humans.
It's quite rare to spot one of these frogs. They are active at night, which makes them even harder to find. However, if you're near a stream or waterfall in their habitat, you might hear the male frogs calling out from the plants.
Sadly, the bumpy glassfrog is facing some challenges. In Ecuador, it has disappeared from two places where it used to live. One of these places was where it was first discovered, and it hasn't been seen there since 1979. In Colombia, the last time it was recorded was in 1996.
Scientists believe that changes in weather patterns might be a big reason for their disappearance. Other problems include losing their forest homes, new fish that eat them, pollution, and a serious frog disease called chytridiomycosis. This disease is caused by a fungus that harms amphibians.
See also
In Spanish: Centrolene heloderma para niños
