Eluru dot frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eluru dot frog |
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The Eluru dot frog (scientific name: Uperodon variegatus) is a small frog that lives only in India. It's also known by other names like the termite nest frog or white-bellied pug snout frog. You might spot these frogs, especially during the monsoon (rainy) season, sometimes even inside homes! They are easy to recognize because they have special pads on their fingertips, but not on their toes.
What Does It Look Like?
This frog is quite small. Its finger pads are shaped like triangles. Its toes have a little bit of webbing, and it has two small bumps on its feet called metatarsal tubercles. When you stretch its back leg along its body, the joint reaches its shoulder.
These frogs breed when it's rainy, usually from April to October. During this time, the males make calls at night while floating in water. Their call sounds like ghauy ghauy. They have a single vocal sac under their throat that helps them make these sounds.
Life Cycle
The tadpoles of the Eluru dot frog are brown or gray with black spots. Sometimes, they even have a blue spot on each side of their body. Tadpoles eat food from the bottom of the water. They change into frogs (a process called metamorphosis) in about a month.
Where Does It Live?
Eluru dot frogs lay their eggs in water found in dark places. You can often find them living in termite mounds or under stones. They are mostly found in peninsular India, which is the southern part of the country. They can even live in dry areas like Madras and West Bengal. These frogs can handle water that is a bit salty.
They have been seen living near large black scorpions called Heterometrus species. If the frogs are bothered, they might crawl over the scorpions. But if a scorpion walks over them, the frogs flatten themselves and stay very still. These frogs can also dig into soft soil.
