Leiopelmatidae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Zealand primitive frogs |
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| Hochstetter's Frog (Leiopelma hochstetteri) | |
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Leiopelmatidae
Mivart, 1869
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Leiopelma
Fitzinger, 1861
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See text. |
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| Distribution of Leiopelmatidae (in black) | |
Leiopelmatidae is a special family of frogs. They are often called "New Zealand and North American primitive frogs." They are considered "primitive" because they have some features that are very old, like those found in ancient frogs.
Today, there are only four types of Leiopelma frogs. They all live in New Zealand. There are also two types of Ascaphus frogs, which are found only in North America.
What Makes These Frogs Special?
These primitive frogs have some unique body parts. For example, they have an extra vertebra (a bone in their spine). They also have small remains of tail muscles, even though adult frogs do not have tails.
When these frogs jump, they land in a funny way. It looks like a "belly flop"! After landing, the Ascaphus frogs might slide a bit before they stand up again.
These frogs are quite small. They are usually only about 5 centimeters (2 inches) long. Most types of these frogs lay their eggs in damp ground. They often hide their eggs under rocks or plants.
These frogs do not need standing water or flowing water for their eggs. After the eggs hatch, the tiny tadpoles will often stay on the male frog's back. These frogs can live for a very long time, sometimes more than 30 years!
Different Kinds of Primitive Frogs
Here are the different types of primitive frogs in the family LEIOPELMATIDAE:
Living Species
- Genus Leiopelma (found in New Zealand)
- Archey's Frog, Leiopelma archeyi
- Hamilton's Frog, Leiopelma hamiltoni
- Hochstetter's Frog, Leiopelma hochstetteri
- Maud Island Frog, Leiopelma pakeka
- Genus Ascaphus (found in North America)
- Tailed Frog, Ascaphus truei
- Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog, Ascaphus montanus
Extinct Species
Scientists have found remains of three types of Leiopelma frogs that are now extinct. These are called subfossil remains. They were also found in New Zealand. These frogs died out sometime in the last 1,000 years.
- †Leiopelma auroraensis
- †Leiopelma markhami
- †Leiopelma waitomoensis
Even older fossils have been found in Argentina. These fossils date back to the Jurassic period, which was millions of years ago. One example is Notobatrachus.
Images for kids
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Hochstetter's Frog (Leiopelma hochstetteri)
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Distribution of Leiopelmatidae (in black)
See also
In Spanish: Leiopelmatidae para niños
