Mustached frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mustached frog |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Leptodactylidae |
| Genus: | Leptodactylus |
| Species: |
L. mystacinus
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| Binomial name | |
| Leptodactylus mystacinus (Burmeister, 1861)
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| Synonyms | |
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Leptodactylus mystacinus is a type of frog that belongs to the Leptodactylidae family. It's often called the mustached frog because of the markings on its face. You can find this frog in parts of South America, including eastern Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and central Argentina.
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What Does the Mustached Frog Look Like?
Adult male frogs are about 44 to 65 millimeters (1.7 to 2.6 inches) long. Adult female frogs are a bit larger, measuring 54 to 67 millimeters (2.1 to 2.6 inches) long. Males have a snout that's flatter, like a spatula, compared to females.
These frogs have special skin folds on their backs. One pair goes from behind their eyes to their upper hips. Another pair might be broken or incomplete and runs along their sides. Their toes are simple, without any extra skin or ridges.
The color of their back can be plain, striped, or have small dark spots. The upper skin folds often have a clear dark brown stripe underneath them. They usually have a light, thin stripe above these folds. This light stripe often gets wider and clearer towards the back.
The lower skin folds along their sides might have dark or cream-colored highlights. A light stripe is usually found on their upper lip. The belly can be plain or have a mottled (mixed) pattern.
Where Does the Mustached Frog Live?
The mustached frog is a land-dwelling frog. It prefers to live in grasslands, especially near standing water. These watery areas are important for the frogs to breed.
You can find these frogs at elevations below 1,800 meters (about 5,900 feet). Some groups of these frogs also live in forests or areas that used to be forests.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Mustached frogs lay their eggs in foam nests. These nests are built underground to protect the eggs. After the eggs hatch, the tadpoles develop in the water nearby.
Conservation Status
The mustached frog is a common species. It can adapt well to changes made by humans, like building or farming. It lives in several protected areas. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) does not consider this frog to be threatened.
 | Victor J. Glover |
 | Yvonne Cagle |
 | Jeanette Epps |
 | Bernard A. Harris Jr. |
