Frilled egg-guarding frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Frilled egg-guarding frog |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Hyperoliidae |
| Genus: | Hyperolius |
| Species: |
H. obstetricans
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| Binomial name | |
| Hyperolius obstetricans Ahl, 1931
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| Synonyms | |
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Alexteroon obstetricans (Ahl, 1931) |
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The Hyperolius obstetricans, also known as the frilled egg-guarding frog, is a cool type of frog. It belongs to the Hyperoliidae family, which includes many tree frogs. You can find this frog in parts of Africa, like southern Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and northern Angola. It probably lives in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo too!
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
This frog is quite small, growing up to about 31 millimeters (or 1.2 inches) long from its nose to its bottom. It has a slim body and a wide head with a rounded nose. Its eyes are big and stand out.
Skin and Colors
The Hyperolius obstetricans has bumpy skin on its back. Its back can be bluish-green, grass-green, olive-green, or even brownish-green. It often has tiny white dots all over and sometimes darker spots on its head and shoulders. The area from its eyelids to its nostrils is usually brownish.
The skin on its belly is also a bit bumpy. The front part of its throat is white. In male frogs, the back part of the throat is dark blue, while in females, it's a pretty turquoise color. Its belly can look clear turquoise or even black, and you can sometimes see its insides through its skin!
Special Features
This frog has large, round pads on its fingers and toes, which help it grip surfaces. Its fingers have some webbing between them, and its toes are almost fully webbed, which is great for swimming. It also has a clear eardrum, called a tympanum, on the side of its head.
Frog Calls
When a male Hyperolius obstetricans wants to attract a mate, it makes a special sound. Its call is a slow, metallic "tuc" sound. It usually repeats this sound about 5 to 6 times.
Where Does It Live?
The frilled egg-guarding frog lives in forests, usually in areas that are less than 800 meters (about 2,600 feet) above sea level. It loves to be near narrow streams that are covered by a continuous forest roof, or "canopy." These streams have fresh, flowing water that isn't too fast.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
This frog has a unique way of laying its eggs! The female frog lays small groups of eggs on leaves that hang over the streams. When the tadpoles hatch from the eggs, they simply fall into the water below. There, they continue to grow and develop into young frogs.
Conservation Status
Even though this frog can be found in many places, it's not always easy to spot. It might be common in some areas but completely missing from others that seem perfect for it. The biggest threat to the Hyperolius obstetricans is the loss of its forest home, especially the closed-canopy forests it needs. Luckily, it lives in some protected areas, like the Moukalaba-Doudou National Park in Gabon, which helps keep it safe.
 | Dorothy Vaughan |
 | Charles Henry Turner |
 | Hildrus Poindexter |
 | Henry Cecil McBay |
