Leptopelis parkeri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leptopelis parkeri
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Clade:	Leptopelis
Species:	L. parkeri
Binomial name
Leptopelis parkeri Barbour and Loveridge, 1928
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Synonyms
Leptopelis martiensseni Ahl, 1929

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Leptopelis parkeri is a type of frog that belongs to the Arthroleptidae family. It's also known as Parker's tree frog or Parker's forest treefrog. This special frog lives only in Tanzania, a country in Africa. You can find it in the Eastern Arc Mountains, including places like the Uluguru, Udzungwa, and Usambara mountains. It was named after Hampton Wildman Parker, a British scientist who studied animals.

What Does Parker's Tree Frog Look Like?

Adult male Parker's tree frogs are about 34–43 mm (1.3–1.7 in) long. That's roughly the length of a small paperclip! Females are a bit bigger, measuring at least 56 mm (2.2 in).

These frogs have a small eardrum, called a tympanum. Their fingers and toes have lots of webbing, which helps them climb and move around. A cool thing about them is their bright red eyes. This special eye color helps scientists tell them apart from other frogs.

• Males: Their backs can be grey, brown, or olive green. They often have a yellowish pattern that looks like irregular stripes. Their throats are white.
• Females: Their backs are usually a solid olive-green color. Their throats are orange.

Both males and females have yellow-orange skin on their sides, the underside of their legs, and their toes. Their bellies are whitish.

Where Do Parker's Tree Frogs Live?

Parker's tree frogs live in healthy, good-quality forests. They can be found at different heights, from about 300 m (980 ft) to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) above sea level. That's like living from near the coast all the way up a tall mountain!

Life Cycle and Reproduction

Scientists believe that Parker's tree frogs lay their eggs on land. After the eggs hatch, the young frogs, called tadpoles, then live in water. This is a common way for many frogs to grow up.

Protecting Parker's Tree Frog

This frog is quite common in the places where it lives. However, it faces some dangers. Its home, the forest, is shrinking and getting damaged. This happens because of:

• Small farms expanding into the forest.
• People cutting down trees (logging).
• Forest fires.

The good news is that Parker's tree frogs live in many protected areas. These areas help keep their forest homes safe. Protecting these forests is important to make sure these unique frogs continue to thrive.