Nymphargus balionotus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nymphargus balionotus |
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The Nymphargus balionotus is a special kind of frog. It is part of the Centrolenidae family, often called "glassfrogs." You can find this frog in the Andes mountains. Specifically, it lives in parts of Colombia and Ecuador.
In Colombia, it lives in the Cauca and Valle del Cauca Departments. In Ecuador, it is found in the Carchi and Pichincha Provinces. People sometimes call it the Mindo Cochran frog or the mottled glassfrog.
What Does It Look Like?
Adult male Nymphargus balionotus frogs are quite small. They measure about 20 to 23 millimeters (less than an inch) from snout to vent. Their head is much wider than their body. The front of their snout is flat.
Their fingers have small fringes on the sides. There is also some webbing between their outer fingers. Their toes are about three-fourths webbed. The discs on their fingers are a bit bigger than the discs on their toes. These discs help them stick to surfaces.
The back of the frog, called the dorsum, is pale green. It has reddish-brown stripes and small spots. You can also see raised yellow spots on its back.
Where It Lives and How We Protect It
The Nymphargus balionotus frog lives in wet, tropical forests. It prefers areas along streams. You can find it in lowland forests and cloud forests. These frogs live at elevations from 400 to 1540 meters (about 1,300 to 5,000 feet) above sea level.
This frog is an arboreal species. This means it lives mostly in trees and plants. It lays its eggs on leaves that hang over streams. When the tadpoles hatch, they drop into the water below.
This frog is fairly common in Colombia. However, there have not been many recent sightings in Ecuador. Even though it was once very common there in 1975.
The biggest threat to this frog is habitat loss. This happens when its forest home is destroyed. People cut down trees for farming, logging, and building new homes. This loss of habitat makes it harder for the frogs to survive.
See also
In Spanish: Nymphargus balionotus para niños
