Misty moss frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Misty moss frog |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus: | Theloderma |
| Species: |
T. nebulosum
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| Binomial name | |
| Theloderma nebulosum Rowley, Le, Hoang, Dau, and Cao, 2011
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The misty moss frog (Theloderma nebulosum) is a special kind of frog. It belongs to the Rhacophoridae family, often called "tree frogs." This tiny frog is found only in central Vietnam. So far, scientists have only found one female frog and some tadpoles. They were discovered in 2009-2010 in the Ngọc Linh Nature Reserve. Australian and Vietnamese scientists officially described this new species in 2011.
Contents
What Does the Misty Moss Frog Look Like?
The first adult misty moss frog ever found was a female. She was about 29 millimeters (just over an inch) long from her snout to her rear end. Her body is quite strong and sturdy. Her head is about as wide as it is long.
Special Features
The frog's snout looks blunt when you view it from above. But from the side, it looks more rounded. The frog has a clear tympanum, which is like its eardrum. Both its fingers and toes have well-developed discs. These discs help the frog grip surfaces. The finger discs are even bigger than the toe discs.
Skin and Eyes
The fingers of the misty moss frog do not have webbing. However, its toes have a small amount of webbing at their base. The frog's back, or dorsum, is brown. It has faint darker brown lines running along its body. These lines were easier to see when the frog was first caught at night. The sides of its body are a lighter brown and have a slightly mottled, or spotted, look. The frog's iris (the colored part of its eye) is two-toned. The top part is a pale gold, and the bottom part is a dark red.
Tadpole Appearance
Scientists also found eight tadpoles of the misty moss frog. Their bodies measured between 6 and 13 millimeters long. Their tails were more than twice as long as their bodies.
Where the Misty Moss Frog Lives
The misty moss frog lives in high mountain forests. These forests are always green and have lots of bamboo. They are found at elevations of about 1950 to 2000 meters (about 6400 to 6560 feet) above sea level. This frog is arboreal, which means it spends most of its life in trees.
Tadpole Homes
The tadpoles of the misty moss frog have a unique home. They were found living inside a small tree hollow. This hollow was filled with water and was about 1 meter (3 feet) above the ground.
Why This Frog is Rare
The misty moss frog is still known from only one female frog and a few tadpoles. This is likely because the frog lives in trees. It is also very small and has colors that help it blend in with its surroundings. Scientists have also not had many chances to search for it in its habitat. The known frogs were found inside a nature reserve. This helps protect them. However, outside the reserve, their forest home is at risk from being lost or damaged.
 | Stephanie Wilson |
 | Charles Bolden |
 | Ronald McNair |
 | Frederick D. Gregory |
