Chamula mountain brook frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chamula mountain brook frog |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Duellmanohyla chamulae | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Hylidae |
| Genus: | Duellmanohyla |
| Species: |
D. chamulae
|
| Binomial name | |
| Duellmanohyla chamulae (Duellman, 1961)
|
|
| Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Ptychohyla chamulae Duellman, 1961 |
|
Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
The Chamula mountain brook frog (Duellmanohyla chamulae) is a special kind of frog. It belongs to the Hylidae family, also known as the tree frogs. This frog lives only in Chiapas, Mexico. Its home is in wet montane forests, which are forests found in mountains. Sadly, this frog is in danger because its home is being destroyed. Because of this, it is listed as an "endangered" animal by the IUCN.
Where It Lives
The Chamula mountain brook frog has only been found in one specific area. This area is on the northern side of the Central Highlands of Chiapas in Mexico. All the places where these frogs have been seen are between two towns, Jitotol and Soluschiapa. They live in cool, wet cloud forests. These forests are very high up, more than 1,600 meters (about 5,250 feet) above sea level.
Froggy Life
Frogs in the Duellmanohyla group, like the Chamula mountain brook frog, like to breed in fast-moving mountain streams. To help them live in these speedy waters, they have special webbed feet. Their front feet and some toes on their back feet have webbing. This helps them move around in the water.
Scientists haven't actually seen these frogs lay their eggs yet. But they think the female frogs might lay their eggs on leaves or plants above the fast-flowing streams. When the tiny tadpoles hatch, they would then fall into the water below. These tadpoles have a special mouth part called an "oral disc." This disc helps them stick to rocks and other surfaces in the stream, so they don't get washed away by the strong current.
Why It Needs Help
The Chamula mountain brook frog lives in a very small area. Its total living space is less than 5,000 square kilometers (about 1,930 square miles). It has only been found in five different places. The mountain cloud forests where these frogs live are being threatened by human activities. Even though these frogs are quite common in the small areas where they are found, their numbers are believed to be going down.
Another big problem for these frogs, and many other amphibians, is a fungal disease. This disease is called chytridiomycosis. Because of these threats, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has decided that the Chamula mountain brook frog is an "endangered" species. This means it needs our help to survive.
 | Bayard Rustin |
 | Jeannette Carter |
 | Jeremiah A. Brown |
