Haswell's frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Haswell's frog |
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| Mature Haswell's froglet | |
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| Tadpole stage of Haswell's frog | |
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| Distribution of the Haswell's froglet |
The Haswell's frog (Paracrinia haswelli) is a small frog that lives on the ground. You can find it near coastal swamps in eastern Australia, from Port Macquarie, New South Wales down to the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. It is the only type of frog in its genus called Paracrinia.
What Does It Look Like?
This frog can grow up to 30 millimeters (about 1.2 inches) long. Its back can be light grey-brown, pale brown, or reddish-brown, often with some darker spots. It usually has a faint stripe running down the middle of its back. There's also a dark band that goes from behind its eye to its shoulder. The top part of its eye is silver.
One special thing about this frog is its red thighs, which is why it's sometimes called the red-groined froglet. The frog's belly is light brown with white patches.
Where Does It Live and Its Life Cycle
This frog lives in swampy areas near the coast, especially in places called wallum swampland and heathland. You might also find it in dams, ponds, and ditches within sclerophyll forests and woodlands.
Male Haswell's frogs make an "annk" sound. They call from the water or on land, mostly after rain during autumn and winter. The female frog lays her eggs in the water, attaching them to sticks and leaves.
The tadpoles of this frog have very deep tail fins. They change into frogs (this process is called metamorphosis) during spring and autumn. The tadpole stage lasts for about 100 days. When the young frogs first change, they are about 13 millimeters long and look like the adults, but their red thigh color isn't fully developed yet.
See also
In Spanish: Paracrinia haswelli para niños
