Indirana beddomii facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Indirana beddomii
Dorsal view
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Ranixalidae
Genus:	Indirana
Species:	I. beddomii
Binomial name
Indirana beddomii (Günther, 1876)
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Synonyms
Polypedates beddomii Günther, 1876

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Indirana beddomii, also known as Beddome's leaping frog, is a special kind of frog. You can find it in the Western Ghats region of India. This frog is famous for its amazing long jumps! It often leaps away quickly when something disturbs it on the ground. This frog is named after a scientist named Richard Henry Beddome.

About Beddome's Leaping Frog

This frog has a moderate-sized head. Its snout is rounded, and its eyes are quite noticeable. The eardrum, called the tympanum, is easy to see. It's about two-thirds the size of its eye.

Its front toes are average in length. The back toes are partly webbed, about two-thirds of the way. This webbing helps the frog move in wet places. The tips of its toes have special pads, like little disks, that help it grip surfaces.

The skin on its back has small, raised lines. A strong fold of skin runs from its eye to its shoulder. Most of these frogs are brown. They might have faint darker spots. Some are pinkish, and a few have a light stripe down their back. They usually have a dark stripe between their eyes. A black stripe also runs along the side of their snout. Their legs often have dark stripes. The underside of the frog is usually white. Male frogs of this species do not have vocal sacs, so they don't make loud calls. This frog is about 2.5 inches long from its snout to its rear.

Where Beddome's Frog Lives

You can find Beddome's leaping frog in the forests of the Western Ghats. These frogs live on the ground. They prefer areas near streams or rivers in evergreen forests. They also live in mixed evergreen forests. They are found at heights between 752 and 1200 meters above sea level.

This frog can live in forests that have grown back after being cut down, called secondary forests. However, scientists don't think it can survive in places that are very disturbed by humans. For example, these frogs have not been seen on farms.

Life Cycle and Reproduction

Beddome's leaping frog has a unique way of laying eggs. It lays its eggs on wet cliffs. The frog places the eggs inside small cracks in the rocks.

Unlike many frogs, its tadpoles do not live directly in open water. Instead, they stay and grow inside these same rock cracks. This keeps them safe and moist as they develop.

Threats and Protecting the Frog

The IUCN, a group that studies endangered animals, says this frog is endangered. This is because it lives in a small area. About half of these frogs are thought to live in the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a protected park.

Many things threaten this frog. One big problem is habitat loss. Forests where they live are being cut down for farms. Roads and dams are also being built, which destroys their homes. Sometimes, roadsides are covered with concrete to prevent landslides. This fills in the rock cracks where the frogs lay their eggs.

Frogs can also get hit by cars on roads, which is called roadkill. Small amounts of wood collection happen, but this is not a major threat. Scientists also think that noise pollution from human activities might bother the frogs. It could make it hard for males to hear each other when they call to find mates.

Climate change is another possible danger. Since these frogs live high up in the mountains, it would be hard for them to move to cooler places if temperatures rise. Climate change could also change the monsoon rains. These rains are very important for the frog's breeding cycle.

Scientists have found a fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis on these frogs. This fungus causes a disease called chytridiomycosis. It can be very harmful to amphibians. Scientists are still studying how much this fungus affects Beddome's leaping frog.