Mount Glorious day frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Glorious day frog |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Taudactylus
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| Species: |
diurnus
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The Mount Glorious day frog (Taudactylus diurnus) was a small frog from south-east Queensland, Australia. It was also called the Mount Glorious torrent frog or southern day frog. Sadly, this frog is now extinct, meaning there are no more left in the wild. The last time anyone saw one was in 1979.
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About the Mount Glorious Day Frog
Mount Glorious day frogs were small, growing to about 2.2 to 3.1 centimeters long. That's about the size of a large paperclip! Male frogs were usually a bit smaller than females.
Their skin on their back was grey or brown, often with dark spots or streaks. It was mostly smooth, but sometimes felt a little bumpy. Their belly was creamy white or bluish-grey, sometimes with grey spots.
Family Tree of the Day Frog
The Mount Glorious day frog belonged to a group of frogs called Taudactylus. Its closest living relatives are other "day frogs" or "tinker frogs" found in Australia. These include:
- The Sharp snouted day frog (Taudactylus acutirostris)
- The Eungella torrent frog (Taudactylus eungellensis)
- The Eungella tinker frog (Taudactylus liemi)
- The Kroombit tinker frog (Taudactylus pleione)
- The Northern tinker frog (Taudactylus rheophilus)
Where the Day Frog Lived
The Mount Glorious day frog was native to Australia. It lived in the Blackall, Conondale, and D’Aguilar Ranges in Queensland. These areas are about 350 to 800 meters above sea level.
Sadly, the frog started disappearing from these places. It vanished from the D’Aguilar Range around 1975. Then it disappeared from the Blackall Range around 1978. Finally, it was gone from the Conondale Range in early 1979.
Even though these areas like D’Aguilar Range, Conondale Range, and Kondalilla Falls are now protected national parks, no Mount Glorious day frogs have been found there since.
These frogs liked to live in montane rainforests. They especially preferred long-lasting or temporary streams with gravel, clay, sand, or rocky soil. They could also be found in open areas, gorges, and thick, wet places with lots of plants.
Daily Life of the Day Frog
The Mount Glorious day frog was most active during the day. As evening came, they became less active. Since they lived mainly along streams, they rarely moved far from the water. They often had to go into the water to stay hydrated, either by swimming or just dipping themselves in.
At night, when they were less active, they would hide in cool rock crevices. They also stayed in moist spots like under fallen leaves, along the water's edge, or among damp plants.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
These frogs bred during warm, wet weather. This usually happened after or during heavy rain, from late October to May. The busiest time for breeding was from January to March.
The female frog would lay 24 to 36 eggs. These eggs were in jelly-like clumps, hidden under rocks or branches in the water. Tadpoles could be found in the streams throughout the year. Both male and female frogs took part in a mating behavior called amplexus.
What the Day Frog Ate
The Mount Glorious day frog mainly ate small invertebrates. These were tiny creatures found on the forest floor. Their diet included flat-bodied crustaceans, winged insects, butterfly or moth larvae, and other small insects living near streams.
Why the Day Frog Disappeared
The Mount Glorious day frog was first officially described by scientists in 1966. In the early 1970s, there were many of these frogs in south-eastern Queensland. However, their numbers quickly started to drop.
In just 3 to 4 years, the frog became endangered. It disappeared from the D’Aguilar Range by 1975 and the Blackall Range by 1978. The last time anyone saw one was around 1979.
In 1994, a scientific journal said the species was endangered. Then, in 1996, the IUCN Red List declared it critically endangered. Scientists kept looking for the frog until 2004. Because no frogs had been seen in the wild for about 25 years, the IUCN Red List officially declared the Mount Glorious day frog extinct.
Causes of Extinction
Several things likely led to the Mount Glorious day frog's extinction:
- Feral pigs: These wild pigs caused problems by making the stream water muddy. This made it hard for the frogs to reproduce and for their tadpoles to grow. Feral pigs also sometimes ate the frogs.
- Changes in water flow: Changes in how streams flowed could have harmed the frogs' habitat.
- Invasive species: The spread of plants like Lantana camara and Ageratina riparia might have also played a role. These plants are not native to Australia and can take over habitats.
- Disease: A fungal disease called chytridiomycosis (say: kih-TRIH-dee-oh-my-KOH-sis) also spread among frogs. This disease is known to cause frog populations to disappear.
See also
In Spanish: Taudactylus diurnus para niños
