Blyth's river frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blyth's river frog |
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Rana macrodon var. blythii Boulenger, 1920 |
The Blyth's river frog (Limnonectes blythii) is a really big type of frog! People also call it the giant Asian river frog or just giant frog. It belongs to the Dicroglossidae family of frogs. You can find this amazing frog in countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia (on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo).
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Meet the Giant River Frog!
Blyth's river frogs are known for their impressive size. The female frogs are usually much bigger than the males. Females can grow to be about 90–260 mm (3.5–10.2 in) long. That's like having a frog as long as a school ruler, or even longer! Male frogs are a bit smaller, growing to about 85–125 mm (3.3–4.9 in). Some very large adult frogs can even weigh more than 1 kg (2.2 lb), which is heavier than a bag of sugar!
What Do They Look Like?
These frogs have smooth skin on their backs. Sometimes, their skin might have small bumps called tubercles, or long folds of skin. Their color can be brownish, grey, or yellowish on top. Their bellies are usually white or yellowish. Some Blyth's river frogs also have a stripe running down the middle of their backs.
Where Do They Live?
Blyth's river frogs love to live near streams in forests. They prefer streams that have gravel and rocks. You can find them in both old, untouched forests (primary evergreen forest) and forests that have grown back after being disturbed (secondary evergreen forest).
Frog Homes and Babies
Male Blyth's river frogs are good builders! They dig a special hollow in the sandy bed of a stream. This hollow becomes a safe spot for the female to lay her eggs. After the eggs hatch, the baby frogs, called tadpoles, grow and develop right there in the stream. Even though they love streams, these frogs can sometimes be found quite far away from the water.
Why Are They Important?
Blyth's river frogs face some challenges. One of the biggest threats to them is being collected for food. People catch them for meals in their local areas, and sometimes for trade to other places. Also, like many animals, they are affected by habitat loss. This means their forest homes are disappearing because of human activities. Protecting their habitats is very important to help these giant frogs thrive.
Gallery
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A younger Blyth's river frog (subadult) seen in Khao Sok National Park.
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