Ornate narrow-mouthed frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ornate narrow-mouthed frog |
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The ornate narrow-mouthed frog (scientific name: Microhyla ornata) is a small type of frog found in South Asia. You might also hear it called the ornate narrow-mouthed toad or ornamented pygmy frog. These tiny amphibians live in places like Kashmir, Nepal, India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. This frog was once thought to be the same as another species called Microhyla fissipes.
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What Does This Frog Look Like?
Frogs in the Microhyla family are quite small. A cool way to spot them is by the arrow-shaped mark on their back. They are usually yellowish with a dark brown patch.
This frog has a small head and no teeth. It also doesn't have visible eardrums (called tympani). Their fingertips are shaped like spatulas, and they have only a little bit of webbing between their toes. Male frogs of this species do not have special pads on their thumbs used for mating. The skin on their back is mostly smooth, but it can have some small bumps. Males are about 24 millimeters (about 1 inch) long from their snout to their rear, and females are a bit bigger, around 28 millimeters (just over 1 inch).
Where Does This Frog Live?
The ornate narrow-mouthed frog is originally from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. You can find it living in grass and piles of leaves on the ground. It lives in many different kinds of places, from grassy areas and savannas to wet or dry forests, and even some pine forests.
Sometimes, these frogs even hide in the dung (poop) of elephants!
Frog Life and Habits
This frog often lives partly buried in the leaf litter on the forest floor. It is mostly active at night (this is called being nocturnal). However, during the rainy season, you might see it active during the day too. When it's time to have babies, the frog breeds in ponds and temporary pools of water that form when it rains.
Is This Frog Safe?
The ornate narrow-mouthed frog lives across a very large area, and there are many of them. Because of this, the IUCN (a group that checks on animals) says it is a species of "Least Concern". This means they don't think it's in danger of disappearing anytime soon. It's common in most places it lives and can adapt to many different types of habitats. Scientists haven't found any big threats to this frog species.
