Kassina fusca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kassina fusca |
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The Kassina fusca is a type of frog that belongs to the family Hyperoliidae. It's often called the brown running frog or the pale running frog. You can find this frog in the dry savanna areas of West Africa. Its home countries include Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, and Nigeria. It might also live in Guinea-Bissau, but scientists haven't officially recorded it there yet.
Meet the Brown Running Frog
The Kassina fusca is a small frog that lives on land. Unlike many frogs, it moves by walking instead of jumping! These frogs are quite tiny, measuring about 29 to 33 millimeters long from their snout to their rear end.
Their back, called the dorsum, is usually brown. It often has small, darker spots scattered around, though sometimes these spots are hard to see. A special mark on their back is a larger, irregular X-shaped spot near their shoulders. They also have small sticky pads on their fingers, which help them move around.
A Frog's Secret Life with Ants
Did you know that Kassina fusca frogs have been found living inside the nests of large, powerful ants? These ants are called Paltothyreus tarsatus and Megaponera analis. These ants are big, up to 25 millimeters long, and have strong jaws, poison, and stings. They could easily harm or even kill a frog.
However, experiments have shown that these frogs are rarely attacked by Paltothyreus tarsatus ants. This amazing trick is possible because of special chemicals on the frog's skin. These chemicals act like a "chemical camouflage," helping the frog blend in with the ants' smell. This way, the ants don't see the frog as a threat or food.
So, why would a frog want to live with dangerous ants? The ant nests offer the Kassina fusca a safe and moist place to hide, especially during the dry season. In the savanna, it's hard to find places that stay wet, and ant nests are perfect. Another frog, Phrynomantis microps, also shares this interesting habit.
Where They Live and How They're Doing
The Kassina fusca lives in dry savanna areas and savanna woodlands. When it's time to have babies, they look for temporary pools of water. They especially like large, shallow pools that have lots of plants growing in them.
These frogs are very common in the places where they have been found. However, their known locations are a bit scattered, which means they might be overlooked sometimes. Scientists believe that the Kassina fusca is an adaptable species. This means they can adjust to different conditions and are not currently facing big threats. They even live in some protected areas, like the Comoé National Park.
