Elegant narrow-mouthed toad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elegant narrow-mouthed toad |
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The elegant narrow-mouthed toad (scientific name: Gastrophryne elegans) is a small frog that lives in Central America. You can find it in countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. This special toad is part of the Microhylidae family, which includes many types of narrow-mouthed frogs.
It likes to live in warm, dry or moist forests. You might also find it in plantations, rural gardens, or even in areas where forests used to be. Sadly, its natural habitat is shrinking because of habitat loss.
Meet the Elegant Narrow-Mouthed Toad!
The elegant narrow-mouthed toad is a small frog with a unique look. It has a small head shaped like a triangle. Its body is also quite flat from top to bottom.
Female toads are usually about 27 millimeters (about 1 inch) long. Males are a little bit smaller. Their colors help them hide among leaves on the forest floor.
This toad has a wide, dark brown stripe on its back. This stripe changes width and has a thin dark line around it. On each side of this stripe, there's a reddish-brown area. Another dark brown line runs from its nose, past its eye, and over its shoulder to its leg.
Its thighs have two dark bands. There are also lines on its lower legs that match up when the toad crouches down. The underside of the toad is dark brown or black. It has blurry whitish spots that often blend together.
The hind feet have a small bump near the heel. The fourth toe has a little bit of webbing. The outer toes have flat, wide tips.
Where Does This Toad Live?
Gastrophryne elegans is native to the lowlands of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. It mostly lives on the Atlantic side of these countries. Its home stretches from the north-central coast of Honduras up to central Veracruz in Mexico.
There's also a separate group of these toads. They live in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. This special reserve is located on the Yucatán Peninsula.
These toads prefer tropical forests. They spend their time on the ground, hiding among fallen leaves. When it's the rainy season, they breed in temporary pools of water.
Is the Elegant Narrow-Mouthed Toad Safe?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has looked at the elegant narrow-mouthed toad. They have listed it as "Least Concern". This means they are not very worried about this species right now.
There are a few reasons for this rating. The toad has a large population. It also lives in many different places. Plus, it can handle some changes to its habitat. Its population seems to be quite stable. Any decline is not happening fast enough to put it in a more threatened group.
In Mexico, this toad is protected by law. It falls under a "Special Protection" category.
