Microhyla borneensis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Microhyla borneensis |
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Microhyla nepenthicola Das and Haas, 2010 |
The Microhyla borneensis, also known as the Matang narrow-mouthed frog, is a tiny frog found in the Matang Range in Sarawak, Borneo. It belongs to a family of frogs called microhylids. For a while, it was known as the smallest frog in the Old World (which includes Europe, Asia, and Africa). However, since 2012, an even smaller frog called Paedophryne amauensis from New Guinea holds that record.
Adult male Microhyla borneensis frogs are usually about 10.6 to 12.8 millimeters (mm) long from their snout to their rear end. Some can grow up to 13 mm. Female frogs are a bit bigger, measuring about 16 to 19 mm. Even their tadpoles are super tiny, only about 3 mm long!
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Discovering the Tiny Frog
Scientists first officially described Microhyla borneensis in 1928, thanks to Hampton Wildman Parker. For many years, people knew about these tiny frogs, but they thought they were just baby frogs of other species.
Then, in 2010, researchers named Indraneil Das and Alexander Haas made an exciting discovery. They were in Kubah National Park and heard these tiny frogs making calls. Since only adult frogs call out, they realized these weren't babies at all – they were fully grown! Adult male frogs call from inside special plants called pitcher plants when the sun starts to set. Later, in 2011, scientists found out that what they called Microhyla borneensis and Microhyla nepenthicola were actually the same species.
What Does This Frog Look Like?
Microhyla borneensis is a very small frog. Females are about 18 mm long, and males are about two-thirds of that size. Its body is shaped like a wide triangle and is a bit flat. The frog has a slightly pointed snout and small, round eyes. You can't easily see its eardrums (called tympani).
The skin on its back can be smooth or bumpy, but its belly is always smooth. Its legs are short. The frog's hands don't have webs between the fingers, and its outer fingers are flat and wide. Its feet have some webbing, but not a lot. Having less webbing might help it climb the slippery sides of the pitcher plants where it lives. This frog is reddish-brown on its back, has a mottled brown throat, and a pale belly.
Where Does This Frog Live?
The Microhyla borneensis frog is found in the Matang Range in Sarawak, Borneo. Scientists believe it lives in many other similar lowland areas across northern Borneo.
You can find M. borneensis near Mount Serapi in Kubah National Park. A big part of its life cycle happens inside the water-filled traps of a plant called the Nepenthes ampullaria pitcher plant. Because it lives in these pitcher plants, it's called a nepenthebiont. This isn't super unusual! Another creature, a type of crab spider called Henriksenia labuanica, also often lives in these same Nepenthes pitchers.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Microhyla borneensis frogs lay their eggs in the water inside the pitcher plants, specifically the Nepenthes ampullaria plant, which grows on the rainforest floor in Borneo. Several groups of eggs can be laid in the same pitcher, so you might find tadpoles of different ages living together. The tadpoles change into frogs (a process called Metamorphosis) about two weeks after the eggs are laid.
Status of the Frog
This tiny frog is not seen very often, probably because it's so small and blends in well. Scientists think its numbers might be slowly decreasing. However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says it is of "Least Concern". This means they don't think its population is declining fast enough to be worried about it becoming endangered right now. No major threats to this frog have been found.
See also
- Smallest amphibian
