Honduran brook frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Honduran brook frog |
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The Honduran brook frog (Duellmanohyla salvavida) is a special kind of frog. It lives only in Honduras, a country in Central America. This small frog makes its home in wet, green forests and near rivers. Scientists have found it in rainforests, from lowlands to mountains, between 90 and 1400 meters above sea level.
What Does It Look Like?
Adult male Honduran brook frogs are about 2.5 to 2.8 centimeters long. That's about the size of a large paperclip! Female frogs are a bit bigger, around 3.4 centimeters long.
This frog has beautiful colors. Its back is light or dark green. Its belly is yellow. It also has a cool white stripe that starts under its eye and goes down the side of its body. There's a small whitish spot above its leg, near its hip. The inside of its thighs are light yellow. And its eyes are a striking red!
Where Does It Live?
The Honduran brook frog prefers specific places to live. You can find it in subtropical or tropical lowland forests, which are warm and wet. It also lives in subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, which are mountain forests that get a lot of rain. And, of course, it lives near rivers, which are important for its life cycle.
Why Is It Endangered?
Sadly, the Honduran brook frog is an endangered animal. This means it's at high risk of disappearing forever. The biggest reason for this is habitat loss. Its home is shrinking because of several things:
- Logging: Trees are cut down for wood, destroying the forests where the frogs live.
- Urbanization: More towns and cities are being built, taking over natural areas.
- Climate Change: Changes in weather patterns, like droughts (very dry periods) and floods (too much water), harm the frog's habitat.
- Predators: Other animals, both native and those brought in by people, hunt these frogs.
- UV Light: The frogs can be harmed by too much sunlight.
- Fungal Disease: A serious fungal disease called chytridiomycosis also affects these frogs. This disease is very dangerous for amphibians around the world.
Its Special Name
The scientific name for this frog is Duellmanohyla salvavida. The word salvavida is very interesting because it means "lifesaver" in Spanish! Scientists gave it this name after a popular Honduran beer called Salvavida. It's a reminder that this little frog needs a "lifesaver" to survive.
