Coonore bushfrog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coonore bushfrog |
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| Roarchestes coonoorensis photographed at Emerald, Ooty | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus: | Raorchestes |
| Species: |
R. coonoorensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Raorchestes coonoorensis (Biju and Bossuyt, 2009)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Raorchestes coonoorensis, also known as the Coonore bushfrog, is a small frog that lives only in the Western Ghats of India. It gets its name from Coonoor, a town in the state of Tamil Nadu. This special frog is found in places like Sim's Park and Kothagiri. It lives at high altitudes, about 1,780 to 1,850 meters (5,840 to 6,070 feet) above sea level.
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Discovering the Coonore Bushfrog
The Coonore bushfrog was first officially described in 2009. Two scientists, Sathyabhama Das Biju and Franky Bossuyt, named it. They found this frog along with 11 other new frog species in the Western Ghats.
When they first found it, they called it Philautus coonoorensis. Scientists studied its DNA and its body features to understand it better. Later, more DNA studies showed it belonged to a different group. So, its name was changed to Raorchestes coonoorensis.
This frog has close relatives like Raorchestes charius and Raorchestes griet. However, you can tell them apart by looking at their physical differences.
What Does the Coonore Bushfrog Look Like?
The Coonore bushfrog is a small frog. So far, only male frogs have been found and studied. These males are about 2 to 2.4 centimeters (0.8 to 0.9 inches) long from snout to vent (the end of their body).
This frog has a long snout, which is longer than its eye. It also has a clear eardrum, called a tympanum. Its body is thin, and its back legs are quite long.
Its hands do not have webbing between the fingers. Instead, they have small skin fringes on the sides. Its toes have a little bit of webbing. The frog's back has tiny, spiky bumps and a rough texture. Its eyelids also have rough bumps and some small, hard spines. The sides of its head have noticeable bumps.
The color of its back can be light reddish-brown, grey, or light-grey. It often has a light black stripe between its eyes. There are also two brown curved stripes running from behind its eyes to its rear. The areas around its eyes and eardrums are dark brownish-black. Its upper and lower jaws have brownish bands mixed with light grey. Both its front and back legs have dark brownish stripes. The underside of the frog is grey with dark-brown spots of different sizes. Its hands and feet are greyish.
Where Does the Coonore Bushfrog Live?
The Coonore bushfrog lives in places like Eucalyptus tree farms and nearby disturbed forests. Scientists have found these frogs on leaves, about 1 to 1.5 meters (3 to 5 feet) above the ground. They usually find them during rain in the late evening.
This frog seems to be common in its local area. It can even live in places where the forest has been changed a bit by humans. It might also live in more places than we currently know.
Protecting the Coonore Bushfrog
The Coonore bushfrog is an endangered species. This means it faces a high risk of disappearing from the wild. Even though it can handle some changes to its home, it is still in danger. Things like pesticides (chemicals used to kill pests) and too much tourism can harm these frogs. Protecting their natural homes is very important to help them survive.
 | Roy Wilkins |
 | John Lewis |
 | Linda Carol Brown |
