Gastrotheca guentheri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gastrotheca guentheri |
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Amphignathodon guentheri Boulenger, 1882 |
The Guenther's marsupial frog (scientific name: Gastrotheca guentheri) is a special type of frog that lives in the Andes mountains. You can find it in parts of Colombia and Ecuador. This frog is super unique because it's the only known frog with real teeth in both its upper and lower jaws!
What Makes This Frog So Special?
The Guenther's marsupial frog is truly amazing because it has something no other frog has: real teeth in its lower jaw! Most frogs only have teeth in their upper jaw, or no teeth at all. Scientists believe these lower jaw teeth actually "re-evolved" in this frog. This means they disappeared millions of years ago, but then came back!
This is very unusual in nature. It challenges a scientific idea called Dollo's law. This law suggests that once a complex feature is lost in evolution, it usually doesn't come back. But this frog shows it can happen!
Male Guenther's marsupial frogs are about 68 to 78 millimeters long. Female frogs are a bit bigger, measuring about 70 to 82 millimeters from snout to vent.
Where Do They Live and How Are They Doing?
The natural habitat for the Guenther's marsupial frog is in tropical moist forests. These frogs are active at night, which means they are nocturnal. They live on plants, including special plants called bromeliads that grow on trees.
Sadly, the number of these unique frogs is going down. One big reason is habitat loss, which means their forest homes are being destroyed. But even in good habitats, their numbers are dropping. Scientists think this might be because of climate change or a frog disease called chytridiomycosis.
See also
In Spanish: Gastrotheca guentheri para niños
