Malabar tree toad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Malabar tree toad |
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The Malabar tree toad (also called Pedostibes tuberculosus) is a special kind of toad. You can find it in the forests of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, India. This small toad likes to live in wet places like tree hollows or the bases of leaves that hold water. It's the only species in its group, called Pedostibes, which means it's a unique "Asian tree toad."
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Understanding the Malabar Tree Toad's Family
Scientists group living things into families, which is called taxonomy. The Pedostibes group used to include other toad species from Southeast Asia. However, in 2016, these other species were moved to a new group called Rentapia. This means the Malabar tree toad is now the only member of its specific Pedostibes group.
What the Malabar Tree Toad Looks Like
The Malabar tree toad is a thin frog with a head that's not too big or too small. Its snout (nose area) is pointed. The space between its eyes is about as wide as its upper eyelid.
Body Features
The toad has an ear opening (called a tympanum) that you can see clearly. It's about one-third the size of its eye. Its fingers are medium-sized and have some webbing at the bottom. The first finger is half as long as the second. Its toes are almost completely webbed. The tips of both its fingers and toes are wide and flat, but the toe tips are a bit smaller.
Skin and Color
The skin on the toad's upper body is rough and bumpy. The biggest bumps are found along each side of its back. The toad is brownish-grey on top, with darker sides. It has a white stripe that goes from below its eye to its armpit. Another white stripe runs along its lower back. Its underside has dark spots.
Size and Sound
Male toads have a special pouch under their throat called a subgular vocal sac. They use this to make calls. Females are larger than males. Adult Malabar tree toads grow to be about 3.6 to 3.85 centimeters (about 1.4 to 1.5 inches) long.
The toad's call sounds like "shirrrr shirr shirr shirr." Each call lasts about 3 to 7 seconds and has 3 to 10 short sounds.
Where the Malabar Tree Toad Lives
This toad is known for living in trees. However, adult toads are often found among fallen leaves on the ground. At night, they climb up into trees. You can find them in the forests of the Western Ghats at different heights, from about 250 meters (820 feet) to over 1000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level. They are often found near streams.
See also
In Spanish: Pedostibes tuberculosus para niños
