Goeldi's frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Goeldi's frog |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Hemiphractidae |
| Genus: | Fritziana |
| Species: |
F. goeldii
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| Binomial name | |
| Fritziana goeldii (Boulenger, 1895)
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| Synonyms | |
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Hyla goeldii Boulenger, 1895 "1894" |
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The Fritziana goeldii, also known as Goeldi's frog or Colonia Alpina treefrog, is a special kind of frog. It belongs to the Hemiphractidae family. This frog is found only in southeastern Brazil. You can find it in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, and São Paulo.
The frog is named after Émil Goeldi, a Swiss zoologist who worked in Brazil. Even though some areas might be losing their natural homes, the Goeldi's frog is generally common. Because there are so many of them, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says it is a "least concern" species. This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
What Does the Goeldi's Frog Look Like?
The Goeldi's frog is a small and thin frog.
- Female frogs are about 32 to 35 millimeters (1.3 to 1.4 inches) long.
- Male frogs are a little bit smaller than the females.
This frog has a pointy snout and big eyes. Its fingers and toes have sticky pads on the tips. These pads help it climb and hold on. The top of its head and body are usually a light grey or brown color. They also have darker spots and lines.
Where Does the Goeldi's Frog Live?
The Goeldi's frog lives only in southeastern Brazil. This means it is endemic to that area. You can find it in the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Espírito Santo.
Its natural home is in forests. It lives at different heights, from sea level up to about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level. This frog can adapt to different places. It can live anywhere there are trees and special plants called bromeliads. Bromeliads are plants that often grow on trees and can hold water in their leaves. The frogs use these plants for breeding.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The Goeldi's frog spends most of its life among plants. It often lives a few meters above the ground, especially in and around bromeliad plants.
Breeding for these frogs is quite interesting and takes a while.
- First, the male and female frogs join together in a hug-like position called amplexus.
- While they are like this, the female makes a lot of sticky slime.
- The male then uses his legs to whip this slime into a foam.
- He spreads this foam onto the female's back.
- The male then presses the fertilized eggs onto this sticky foam pad.
- A group of eggs, called a clutch, can have about 9 to 20 eggs.
- The pad quickly becomes hard and firm.
After about 19 days, the female frog carefully removes the eggs from her back. She places them into the water-filled hollows of a bromeliad plant. The eggs hatch soon after they are placed in the water. A few days later, the young frogs go through metamorphosis. This means they change from tadpoles into tiny juvenile frogs.
 | Janet Taylor Pickett |
 | Synthia Saint James |
 | Howardena Pindell |
 | Faith Ringgold |
