Eleutherodactylus dolomedes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eleutherodactylus dolomedes |
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The Eleutherodactylus dolomedes is a special kind of frog. It is also known as the Hispaniolan ventriloquial frog or Hedges' robber frog. This small frog lives only in the mountains of Haiti, a country in the Caribbean. It belongs to a family of frogs called Eleutherodactylidae. Scientists first described this frog in 1992.
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The Amazing Hispaniolan Ventriloquial Frog
What Does It Look Like?
This frog is quite small. Adult male frogs are about 1.8 to 2.1 centimeters (0.7 to 0.8 inches) long. That's about the size of a small paperclip! The heaviest ones weigh less than one gram.
Their snouts are short and pointed. They have small, round eardrums, called a tympanum. All their fingers and toes have wide tips. This helps them grip surfaces. However, they do not have webbing between their toes.
The skin on their back and sides is a bit bumpy. Their belly is smooth at the front but bumpy at the back. Their main color is orange-brown or orange-tan. They often have faint brown V-shaped marks on their back. Sometimes, they have thin, light stripes along their sides. Their legs have gray bars. Male frogs have a single vocal sac on the outside of their throat. This helps them make their calls.
Why Is This Frog Special?
The male Hispaniolan ventriloquial frog has a very unique call. It's called a "ventriloquial" call. This means the sound seems to come from somewhere else. It makes it very hard to find the frog!
The frog calls about every two minutes. Its call is a fast series of seven high-pitched "chirps." The sound is very high, around 4.7 kilohertz. This special call helps them attract mates.
Where Does This Frog Live?
This frog lives in trees. It prefers high-up cloud forests. These forests are often covered in clouds or mist. The frogs are found at an elevation of about 1,120 meters (3,675 feet) above sea level.
Scientists found these frogs at night. They were calling from trees about 2 to 3 meters (6 to 10 feet) above the ground. This frog is only known from one specific place. This place is inside the Pic Macaya National Park in Haiti.
Protecting the Hispaniolan Ventriloquial Frog
The Eleutherodactylus dolomedes is a critically endangered species. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever. Even though it lives in a national park, there isn't much active work to protect it.
The biggest problem for these frogs is habitat loss. People are cutting down trees and clearing land in the park. This destroys the cloud forest where the frogs live. Protecting their forest home is very important for their survival.
