Craugastor rupinius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Craugastor rupinius |
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Eleutherodactylus rupinius Campbell and Savage, 2000 |
The cliffy stream frog (Craugastor rupinius) is a type of frog that belongs to the family Craugastoridae. You can find this frog in parts of Central America. It lives in southeastern Mexico (specifically in a state called Chiapas), southern Guatemala, El Salvador, and western Honduras.
What's in a Name? The Rupinius Frog
The special name rupinius comes from a Latin word, rupina. This word means "rocky chasm." It's a perfect name because this frog loves to live in rocky stream areas!
What Does the Cliffy Stream Frog Look Like?
These frogs come in different sizes. Adult male frogs can grow to about 40 millimeters (or 1.6 inches) long. Female frogs are bigger, reaching up to 72 millimeters (or 2.8 inches) long. This measurement is from their snout (nose) to their vent (bottom).
Their skin on their back is a bit rough and has some scattered bumps. The top of their eyelids also has a few larger bumps. They have a clear eardrum, which is called a tympanum.
The color of their back can be different shades of brown, yellow-brown, reddish brown, or even a greenish-brown. Some female frogs have a light line, like a stripe, down the middle of their back. Many of these frogs also have a black line between their eyes. Sometimes, you might see dark bars or stripes on their legs. Their eyes are very pretty, with a gold or copper color.
Where Do These Frogs Live and Are They Safe?
The cliffy stream frog lives in special places. They love steep, rocky streams, mostly in wet forests found in the mountains. You can find them at elevations between 400 and 2,000 meters (about 1,300 to 6,500 feet) above sea level. They can also live in forests that are growing back after being cut down, and in coffee farms where coffee plants grow under shade trees.
Even though these frogs are common, their homes are shrinking. This is called habitat loss. They are also at risk from a serious frog disease called chytridiomycosis. This disease is caused by a fungus and can be very dangerous for frogs and other amphibians.
