Meristogenys whiteheadi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Meristogenys whiteheadi |
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Rana whiteheadi Boulenger, 1887 |
Meristogenys whiteheadi is a type of frog that lives in Borneo. It belongs to the Ranidae family, which includes many different kinds of frogs. You can find this frog in parts of Indonesia (like Kalimantan) and Malaysia (especially western Sabah).
This frog is also known by a few common names. People often call it the Whitehead's Borneo frog or the Whitehead's torrent frog. It was named after a famous explorer.
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Why This Frog Has Its Name
This special frog is named after John Whitehead. He was an explorer who collected the very first examples of this frog. He found them on Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia.
What This Frog Looks Like
These frogs are quite large. Their backs are usually light brown to a dark greenish-brown color. Their lips are dark grey or black.
Eye Color
The frog's eyes have a cool two-color pattern. The middle of its eye has a reddish-orange band. Above and below this band, there are whitish-brown bands.
Other Features
You might see a small light circle in the middle of its eardrum, called the tympanum. Its legs have stripes that go across them. These stripes switch between light and dark brown. The back of its thighs is light brown with small light dots.
Belly and Chest
The frog's throat and chest are whitish with dark dots. Its belly is also whitish. The underside of its legs is whitish, but with some darker patches. The exact colors and patterns can be a bit different depending on where the frog lives.
How Big Are They?
Male Meristogenys whiteheadi frogs from Sabah are usually about 49 to 62 millimeters long. Females from Sabah are bigger, measuring about 78 to 87 millimeters long. Males from Sarawak are a bit smaller, around 49 to 57 millimeters. Females from Sarawak are about 77 to 80 millimeters long.
Where This Frog Lives and How We Protect It
Meristogenys whiteheadi frogs live in hilly rainforests. They prefer places that are below 1,300 meters in height.
Frog Homes
These frogs like to breed in clear, rocky streams. The baby frogs, called tadpoles, are very good at holding onto rocks. They can even stick to rocks in strong water currents! They eat algae that grows on the rocks.
Protecting Their Home
Sadly, these frogs are losing their homes because of logging. When trees are cut down, it can cause dirt and mud to wash into the streams. This makes the water cloudy and harms the places where the tadpoles live.
Luckily, this frog lives in some protected areas. You can find them in Kinabalu Park, Crocker Range National Park, and Kayan Mentarang National Park. These parks help keep their homes safe.
