Helena's marsupial frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Helena's marsupial frog |
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The Helena's marsupial frog (Gastrotheca helenae) is a special type of frog that belongs to the family Hemiphractidae. It is found only in a specific area called the Páramo de Tamá, which is right on the border between Venezuela and Colombia. You can find it in the Apure and Táchira states of Venezuela and in the Norte de Santander Department in Colombia's Eastern Mountain Range. This frog was named after Helen Gaige, an American scientist who studied reptiles and amphibians.
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What Does the Helena's Marsupial Frog Look Like?
The Helena's marsupial frog is a rather large frog. The first one ever studied, which was an adult female, measured about 62 millimeters (or about 2.4 inches) from its snout to its bottom.
Colors and Skin
Its back is smooth and a bright green color. The sides of its body and its belly are reddish-brown with white marks. The skin on its belly and throat is quite bumpy.
Feet and Toes
The frog's toes are about half-webbed, which means there's skin between them for about half their length. Its fingers, however, have only tiny bits of webbing.
Where Does the Helena's Marsupial Frog Live?
This frog's natural habitats are cloud forests and páramos. Cloud forests are misty, wet forests, and páramos are high-altitude grasslands with unique plants. These frogs live at very high elevations, usually between 2,300 and 3,600 meters (about 7,500 to 11,800 feet) above sea level.
Finding the Frog
It's much easier to hear the Helena's marsupial frog than it is to actually see one! They are very good at hiding.
Protecting the Helena's Marsupial Frog
This frog lives in protected areas like the Tamá National Natural Park in Colombia and El Tamá National Park in Venezuela. These parks help keep their homes safe.
Current Status
Scientists don't know of any major threats to this frog right now. The last time they were counted, in the mid-1980s, there were many of them.
