Craugastor myllomyllon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Craugastor myllomyllon |
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Eleutherodactylus myllomyllon Savage, 2000 |
Craugastor myllomyllon was a special kind of frog that is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists anywhere in the world. It belonged to the Craugastoridae family, which includes many types of "rain frogs" or "direct-developing frogs." This unique frog was only found in Guatemala, specifically in one small area called Finca Volcan, in the Sierra de Xucaneb mountains. Scientists only ever found one single frog of this species.
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What's in a Name?
The scientific name myllomyllon was chosen to honor a famous American scientist named Jonathan A. Campbell. He studies reptiles and amphibians. The name comes from old Greek words: myllos (meaning "bent") and myllon (meaning "lip"). It's a clever way to connect to the Scottish family name Campbell, which means "wry lip." The scientist who named the frog, Jay M. Savage, even joked that people who knew Jonathan Campbell well might see a funny connection between the name and his exciting stories about his adventures in Guatemala!
What Did This Frog Look Like?
The only Craugastor myllomyllon ever found was a young female frog. It was about 30 mm (1.2 in) long, which is about the size of a large paperclip.
Key Features of the Craugastor myllomyllon
- Snout: The frog's snout was rounded when viewed from above. From the side, it looked somewhat sloped.
- Eardrum: Its eardrum, called the tympanum, was hard to see.
- Skin: The frog's back, or dorsum, had small bumps called tubercles spread out across it.
- Fingers and Toes: Its fingers had slightly wider tips and small ridges along the sides. The tips of its toes were a bit larger than its finger tips. The toes also had clear fringes along their sides and some webbing between them.
- Color: The preserved frog specimen was brown on its back. The tips of its bumps and some ridges on its shoulders and lower back were cream-colored. It had a faint dark bar between its eyes. Its legs had weak, dark stripes. The chin, throat, and belly were light cream with scattered dark spots.
Where Did This Frog Live?
The single Craugastor myllomyllon was likely found in a wet, mountainous forest at about 875 m (2,871 ft) above sea level. This type of forest is called a premontane wet forest. Scientists are not completely sure about the exact spot where it was found.
Why Did This Frog Disappear?
We don't know the exact reasons why this specific frog species became extinct. However, a big problem for many animals in this region is habitat loss. This means that the places where they live are being destroyed. Often, this happens because forests are cleared for farming. This loss of habitat is a general threat to many species in Guatemala.
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