Colostethus agilis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Colostethus agilis |
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Colostethus agilis is a small, active frog that lives only in Colombia. It belongs to a family of frogs called Dendrobatidae. This frog is special because it is found nowhere else in the world! It likes to live in wet, cool mountain forests and near rivers.
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Meet the Agile Frog!
This frog, Colostethus agilis, is quite small. It grows to be about 2.5 centimeters long, which is roughly the size of a large paperclip. Female frogs are usually a little bigger than males.
Its head is wide, and its nose is short. Behind its eye, there's a part called the tympanum (like an eardrum), which is partly covered by skin. You might see tiny white spots on its upper lip. Its eyes are bronze with small yellow flecks.
The frog's back and sides are often olive green or dark brown. They have darker spots and several rows of small bumps, like warts. Its belly and the underside of its legs are pale with yellowish blotches.
Special Feet
Colostethus agilis has special feet. Its front feet have small sticky pads on the tips of its fingers. Its back feet also have pads, but they are smaller. What makes this frog really unique is its fully webbed back feet! Only five species of Colostethus frogs have this feature. The others are Colostethus chocoensis, Colostethus fuliginosus, Colostethus palmatus, and Colostethus vergeli.
Where Does the Agile Frog Live?
The Colostethus agilis frog is found only in Colombia. It lives in the western part of the Western Mountain Range. These frogs live at high altitudes, between 2,190 and 2,600 meters above sea level.
Their home stretches from an area called La Serrania de los Paraguas south to the Munchique National Natural Park. They prefer to live on the ground in moist forests and near the streams that flow through these forests.
Is the Agile Frog in Danger?
The Colostethus agilis frog is listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This means it is at a high risk of becoming extinct. Its home range is quite small, probably less than 5,000 square kilometers.
The number of these frogs might be slowly decreasing. However, they are quite tough! They can live in both old, untouched forests and forests that have grown back after being cut down.
What Harms These Frogs?
The main dangers to Colostethus agilis are:
- Forestry activities: When trees are cut down for wood.
- Changing land for farming: Forests are cleared to grow crops.
- Pollution: Streams where these frogs are thought to lay their eggs can become dirty.
These threats make it harder for the agile frog to survive and thrive in its natural habitat.
