Nectophrynoides laticeps facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nectophrynoides laticeps |
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| Nectophrynoides laticeps is only known from the Ukaguru Mountains, Tanzania |
Get ready to meet a very special amphibian! The Nectophrynoides laticeps is a unique kind of toad that belongs to the family Bufonidae. You might know it better by its cool common name: the wide-headed viviparous toad.
This amazing toad is found only in one place on Earth: the Ukaguru Mountains in Tanzania, Africa. Being found in just one specific area means it is endemic to that region.
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What Makes This Toad Special?
The wide-headed viviparous toad is quite small. It measures about 14 to 24 millimeters (which is roughly 0.5 to 1 inch) from its nose to the end of its body. The biggest ones are usually the females.
How to Identify This Toad
Scientists can tell this toad apart from other Nectophrynoides species by looking at its body shape. It also has a unique "advertisement call." This is a special sound that male toads make to attract females.
Its skin can be different colors, but it often has a pretty pinkish tint.
A Unique Way to Have Babies: Reproduction
One of the most fascinating things about the wide-headed viviparous toad is how it has its babies. Most toads lay eggs in water, which then hatch into tadpoles. But not this toad!
It is thought to be ovoviviparous. This means the mother toad keeps her eggs inside her body until they are ready to hatch. The babies then come out as tiny, fully formed toadlets, not as eggs or tadpoles. This is a very rare and special way for an amphibian to reproduce!
Where Does This Toad Live?
The wide-headed viviparous toad makes its home in the cool, damp leaf litter on the ground of montane forests. "Montane" means these forests are found high up in the mountains.
Its Mountain Home
These toads live at elevations between 1,800 and 2,200 meters (about 5,900 to 7,200 feet) above sea level. They are active both during the day and at night, searching for food and moving around their forest home.
Protecting This Special Toad
Even though this toad seems to be common within its small mountain range, its future is uncertain. The forests in the Ukaguru Mountains are not very well protected. This means the wide-headed viviparous toad is likely losing its habitat.
Losing their home is a big problem for these toads. However, some of them do live in the Mamiwa-Kisara Forest Reserve, which offers them some protection. Protecting these forests is super important to make sure this unique toad can thrive for many years to come!
