Chabanaud's river frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Phrynobatrachus gutturosus |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Phrynobatrachidae |
| Genus: | Phrynobatrachus |
| Species: |
P. gutturosus
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| Binomial name | |
| Phrynobatrachus gutturosus (Chabanaud, 1921)
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The Phrynobatrachus gutturosus, also known as the Chabanaud's river frog or guttural puddle frog, is a type of frog. It belongs to the Petropedetidae family. You can find this frog in many parts of Africa. These include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria. It might also live in Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Togo, and Uganda.
This frog loves places with lots of water and warmth. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It also lives in moist savannas, swamplands, and temporary freshwater marshes. Sadly, its home is sometimes lost because of habitat loss.
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What Does the Guttural Puddle Frog Look Like?
The guttural puddle frog is a small amphibian. It has a pointed snout, which is like its nose. Its skin is warty, meaning it has small bumps.
Males are about 14 to 16 millimeters long. Females are a bit bigger, around 17 to 19 millimeters long. Their fingers do not have wide tips. Also, their fingers are not webbed, unlike some other frogs.
The frog's back is usually greenish or brownish. It often has dark spots or blotches. These spots sometimes have black borders. Its legs have green stripes. The underside of its body is whitish. Male frogs have a black vocal sac on their throat. This sac helps them make calls. Females have a black patch on their throat with white spots.
Where Do Guttural Puddle Frogs Live?
The guttural puddle frog is found in western Africa. It lives in eastern Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. There is also a separate group of these frogs. They live far away in the Virunga National Park. This park is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
These frogs prefer rain forests. You can usually find them close to ponds and other water bodies. During the rainy season, they might move around more. They can be found in gallery forests. They also live in temporary savannah swamps.
How Do Guttural Puddle Frogs Behave?
The guttural puddle frog lives on land. It is active during the day in the rainy season. When the dry season comes, it changes its habits. It hides under stones or logs during the day. Then, it comes out at night to find food.
During the breeding season, males call out. They do this near water bodies that are good for laying eggs. Females then lay their eggs in these watery spots. Not much is known about their eggs or young tadpoles. However, tadpoles grow very quickly.
These frogs become adults when they are about four to five months old. They have a short lifespan. Most likely, they live only a few months after they lay eggs.
Is the Guttural Puddle Frog in Danger?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists this frog as "Least Concern". This means it is not currently in danger. It is a common species. It can also adapt to different environments.
The guttural puddle frog lives in a very wide area. Its numbers seem to be steady. This is good news for this small amphibian.
 | Selma Burke |
 | Pauline Powell Burns |
 | Frederick J. Brown |
 | Robert Blackburn |
