Isthmohyla lancasteri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Isthmohyla lancasteri |
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Hyla lancasteri Barbour, 1928 |
The Lancaster's treefrog (its scientific name is Isthmohyla lancasteri) is a type of frog. It belongs to the Hylidae family, which includes many treefrogs. This special frog is only found in wet, hilly areas in Costa Rica and western Panama. These areas are part of the Cordillera de Talamanca mountain range.
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How Lancaster's Treefrog Got Its Name
The Lancaster's treefrog was first described in 1928 by a scientist named Thomas Barbour. He studied just one frog to learn about this new species. This single frog was collected by C. R. Lancaster, and that's how the frog got its name!
Scientists later found that some frogs living high in the mountains, which they first thought were Lancaster's treefrogs, were actually a different species. In 1996, these mountain frogs were named Isthmohyla calypsa.
What Does Lancaster's Treefrog Look Like?
Lancaster's treefrogs are not very big. Male frogs grow to be about 34 mm long. Female frogs are a bit larger, reaching about 41 mm in length. Their eyes are big, but their snout (nose area) is very short and blunt.
The frog's back, called the dorsum, has a mix of colors like brown, green, and grey. Its belly is a greyish-white color. Some frogs might have dark spots on their belly, depending on where they live. The frog's thighs can be yellow with black stripes or white with black spots. Again, this depends on the frog's location.
Lancaster's Treefrog Tadpoles
The baby frogs, called tadpoles, are quite large. They have an oval-shaped body and a long, strong tail. Their tail fins are short. Tadpoles are usually brown, sometimes with darker or green marks on them.
Where Lancaster's Treefrog Lives
Lancaster's treefrogs live in wet forests, both in lowlands and on mountains. They can be found at heights from about 368 meters to 1200 meters above sea level. These frogs can even live in areas where many trees have been cut down, like in pastures (fields where animals graze). They lay their eggs in pools of water found within streams.
Protecting Lancaster's Treefrog
This frog is quite common in Costa Rica. However, scientists don't know how many of them live in Panama. The Lancaster's treefrog can be found in the La Amistad International Park, which helps protect its home.
Even though some of their forest homes are being lost due to deforestation (trees being cut down), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) does not consider this species to be in danger right now.
See also
In Spanish: Isthmohyla lancasteri para niños
