Leptopelis calcaratus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leptopelis calcaratus |
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Hylambates calcaratus Boulenger, 1906 |
The Efulen forest treefrog (its scientific name is Leptopelis calcaratus) is a type of frog that belongs to the Arthroleptidae family. You can find this amazing frog in the forests of countries like southeastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (even on Bioko island), Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also lives in the southwestern Central African Republic.
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Discovering the Efulen Forest Treefrog
This frog was first officially described in 1906 by a scientist named George Albert Boulenger. He was a zoologist from Belgium and Britain. He studied a frog found in a place called "Efulen" in Cameroon. He also looked at other frogs from Equatorial Guinea.
Later, in 1973, another scientist named Raymond Laurent described a slightly different type of this frog. He called it Leptopelis calcaratus meridionalis. This one lives south of the Congo River.
What Does It Look Like?
Adult male Efulen forest treefrogs are about 35 to 42 millimeters long. That's about the size of a large paperclip! Female frogs are a bit bigger, measuring 46 to 57 millimeters.
One special thing about this frog is a small, white bump that looks like a spur on its heel. Its back, called the dorsum, is usually grayish. It often has a dark triangle shape on its head that points backward. There's also a wide, dark band along its back. This band might be broken up into smaller stripes or spots on its sides. Many of these frogs also have a white spot right under their eye. The area between its eye and snout, called the canthus rostralis, is quite sharp and angled. Their feet have a lot of webbing, which helps them climb and move around.
The L. c. meridionalis subspecies, which lives south of the Congo River, has a heel spur that isn't as big. It also has more webbing on its feet and a few other small differences in its body shape.
Where Does It Live?
The Efulen forest treefrog is an arboreal frog, which means it mostly lives in trees. You can find it in rainforests, both in low areas and on mountains, from sea level up to about 1,500 meters high. It's important for these frogs to live in untouched, natural forests. They don't do well in areas where the forest has been changed by humans.
Like other Leptopelis frogs, it's thought that this species lays its eggs in a nest on the ground. These nests are usually built close to water.
Home and Safety
This frog is quite common in the areas where it lives. However, its home is facing challenges. Forests are being lost because of things like agricultural expansion (more farms), logging (cutting down trees), and new human settlements (towns and villages). These activities destroy the places where the frogs live.
Luckily, the Efulen forest treefrog can be found in several protected areas. These special places help keep their habitats safe. Some examples include the Korup National Park in Cameroon, the Monte Alén National Park in Equatorial Guinea, and the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central African Republic. These parks are important for protecting this unique frog.
