Indirana gundia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Indirana gundia |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Indirana
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| Species: |
gundia
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The Gundia frog (scientific name: Indirana gundia) is a special kind of frog. It lives in the Western Ghats mountain range in India. This frog is only known from one place called Kempholey, in the state of Karnataka.
The Gundia frog is considered one of the "Top 100 EDGE Amphibians". This means it is very unique and important for scientists. Its family has been developing on its own in India for nearly 50 million years!
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What the Gundia Frog Looks Like
Gundia frogs are quite small. They grow to be about 23 to 38 millimeters long. That's less than two inches!
Their skin color can change a lot. It can be brown, yellowish, golden, cream, pink, or reddish. This helps them blend in with the dead leaves on the forest floor. It's like natural camouflage!
Adult Gundia frogs have long, strong legs. Their toes and fingers don't have webs, but they have disc-like pads that help them grip surfaces. Their head is a bit pointy. They also have special folds on their back that look like lines. Their mouth is wide, and the inside is whitish or yellowish.
How Gundia Frogs Reproduce
Gundia frogs lay their eggs on wet rocks. What's cool about their tadpoles is that they don't live only in water. These tadpoles can move across wet rocks and moss. They use their tail and their back legs, which grow much earlier than in other frog tadpoles.
Where Gundia Frogs Live
This frog lives on land, mostly among rocks and fallen leaves. You can find them on the ground of tropical forests. They need some tree cover above them, like a natural umbrella. They can't live in areas where all the trees have been cut down.
Scientists have seen these frogs living at different heights. They can be found from about 66 meters (216 feet) to 1080 meters (3,543 feet) above sea level.
Protecting the Gundia Frog
The Gundia frog is listed as "near threatened" by the IUCN. This means it's not in immediate danger, but it could be if things don't change. The places where these frogs live are getting damaged.
People change the forests for different reasons. They clear land to raise farm animals or to cut down trees for wood. New roads are built, and buildings for tourism are developed. In some areas, growing coffee also causes problems for the frog's home. Even efforts to prevent landslides can hurt these frogs by changing the rocky places they like to live.
Good news! The Gundia frog lives in some protected areas. These include the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Kudremukh National Park, Kempholey Reserve Forest, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, and Ranipuram Vested Forest . These parks help keep their homes safe.
Scientists have also found a fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis on these frogs. This fungus causes a disease called chytridiomycosis, which can be harmful to frogs. Scientists are still studying how much this fungus affects the Gundia frog.
