Odorrana morafkai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Odorrana morafkai |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Rana morafkai Bain et al., 2003 |
Meet the Odorrana morafkai! This is a special type of frog that belongs to the Ranidae family. You can find it living in parts of eastern Cambodia, southern Laos, and central Vietnam.
What makes this frog super cool? It has an amazing trick! During the day, its skin is bright green. But when night comes, it changes color and turns brown!
Contents
What's in a Name?
The scientific name morafkai honors a scientist. His name was David Joseph Morafka. He was an American expert who studied reptiles and amphibians. Because of him, people also call this frog 'Morafka's frog'.
What Does It Look Like?
Size and Shape
Male Odorrana morafkai frogs are usually about 3.9 to 4.6 centimeters long. That's about the length of a small paperclip! Female frogs are much bigger. They can be 8 to 10 centimeters long. That's about the length of a smartphone.
This frog has a body that looks a bit flattened. Its head is wide, and its eyes are big and stand out. It also has round eardrums that are easy to see.
Cool Features
The frog's fingers and toes have large, flat pads. These help it stick to surfaces. Its toes are also fully webbed, especially in females. This helps them swim well.
Amazing Color Change
As we mentioned, this frog's most amazing feature is its color change! In daylight, its back is usually bright green. But at night, it turns brown. Sometimes, it even has black spots.
The sides of its body are yellow and grey. Its belly is a creamy white color. The frog's legs have black stripes across them. A yellow-white stripe runs along its upper lip. Its eyes have a beautiful golden color.
Where Does It Live?
Odorrana morafkai frogs live in places from 160 meters to over 1,600 meters above sea level. They can be found in different kinds of forests. These include lowland forests and cloud forests high in the mountains. These forests often have evergreen trees or a mix of bamboo and evergreen plants.
You can usually spot these frogs near streams. They like to sit on rocks, on fallen leaves, or on plants. Sometimes, they even climb trees as high as 4 meters off the ground! The baby frogs, called tadpoles, probably grow up in these streams.
Protecting the Odorrana morafkai
Even though this frog is not currently considered in danger, its home is shrinking. This is called habitat loss. People might also catch these frogs for food, especially the larger females.
The good news is that Odorrana morafkai lives in several protected areas. These are special places set aside to keep nature safe. However, even in some protected areas, the frogs can still face threats.
