Chirinda toad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chirinda toad |
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Bufo anotis Boulenger, 1907 |
The Chirinda toad is a small and special type of toad. It is also known as the Chrinda forest toad, Mashonaland toad, or Boulenger's earless toad. Its scientific name is Mertensophryne anotis. This toad lives in a small area in eastern Zimbabwe and western Mozambique in Africa.
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Meet the Chirinda Toad
The Chirinda toad is quite small. It grows to about 4.5 centimeters (about 1.8 inches) long from its nose to its tail-end. Its head is about as long as it is wide. It has a pointy nose that sticks out a bit past its mouth. Its skin feels bumpy because it's covered in smooth warts.
Special Features
One interesting thing about this toad is that it doesn't have a visible eardrum. It does have large glands behind its eyes, called paratoid glands. These glands reach all the way to its arms. The toad has short fingers and short toes. Its toes are partly webbed, about one-third of the way. These webs are covered with tiny bumps.
Colors and Patterns
The top of the Chirinda toad's head and its sides can be dark, almost black. Sometimes, they are lighter with black stripes across them. The underside of the toad is yellow and has black spots.
Where Do Chirinda Toads Live?
The Chirinda toad is found in specific forests. It lives in the Chirinda Forest in eastern Zimbabwe. It also lives in the Dombé Forest, which is right next to it in Mozambique.
Possible New Homes
Recently, a Chirinda toad was seen in Quirimbas National Park in northeastern Mozambique. This might mean the toad lives in more places than we thought. Or, it could be a different type of toad that looks very similar. Scientists are still studying this.
Chirinda Toad's Home: Habitat
Chirinda toads like to live in certain kinds of forests. Their natural homes are lowland and montane evergreen forests. These are forests that stay green all year round.
Finding Shelter
In these forests, the toads often hide in the leaf litter on the ground. They also like to hide inside or under old, rotting logs. This helps them stay safe and cool.
Daily Life of a Chirinda Toad
Adult Chirinda toads spend most of their time hiding. They like to stay hidden among the fallen leaves on the forest floor. This helps them avoid predators and find food.
Laying Eggs
When it's time to lay eggs, the female Chirinda toad looks for special places. She lays her eggs in small pools of water. These pools are often found between the large, wide roots of certain trees, like the Chrysophyllum gorungosanum tree. They might also lay eggs in water-filled grooves on the bark of fallen trees.
Protecting the Chirinda Toad
The Chirinda toad is facing some serious threats. Its home, the forest, is shrinking. This is happening because of several reasons.
Threats to Their Home
- Farming: People are clearing forests to make space for farms.
- Wood Collection: Trees are being cut down for wood.
- Growing Towns: Human settlements are expanding, taking over forest land.
These activities destroy the toad's natural habitat.
Protected Areas
The Chirinda toad does live in at least one protected area. This is the Ngungunyana State Forest in Zimbabwe, which is part of the Chirinda Forest. It might also live in the Quirimbas National Park in Mozambique.
Why They Need Help
Even with some protection, the toad's habitat is still being damaged. Because of this, the Chirinda toad is considered an endangered species. This means it is at a high risk of disappearing forever if we don't protect it.
