Palanda rocket frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Palanda rocket frog |
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The Palanda rocket frog, officially known as Hyloxalus cevallosi, is a type of poison dart frog. These frogs belong to the Dendrobatidae family. This special frog was named after Gabriel Cevallos García, a well-known writer from Ecuador. You can find this frog on the eastern side of the Andes mountains in Ecuador. It lives in the Pastaza Province. Its favorite places to live are very wet forests found in the mountains.
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About the Palanda Rocket Frog
The Hyloxalus cevallosi is a small frog that lives on the ground. It can be hard to spot because of its size.
What Does It Look Like?
This frog has special stripes on its sides. These stripes go from its back to its belly. It also has a large eardrum, called a tympanum. Its toes are not webbed and do not have many fringes. The frog also has a wide belly.
Male frogs are about 18 millimeters (0.7 inches) long. Female frogs are a bit bigger, around 21 millimeters (0.8 inches) long. This measurement is from their snout to their rear end.
Where Does This Frog Live?
The Palanda rocket frog is native to the Pastaza Province in central Ecuador. It lives on the eastern side of the Andes mountains. You can find it at heights between 480 and 970 meters (1,575 to 3,182 feet) above sea level.
So far, this frog has only been found in three places within the Pastaza Province. Some other sightings might be this frog or a similar one called Leucostethus fugax. Scientists need to check these other records to be sure.
Why Is This Frog Endangered?
The Hyloxalus cevallosi is currently listed as "Endangered" by the IUCN. This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever. Its population is getting smaller.
Threats to Its Home
These frogs live in a very small area, less than 500 square kilometers (193 square miles). Their biggest threat is habitat loss. The forests where they live, in the Amazonian foothills of the Andes, are slowly vanishing. This is happening because people are clearing land for farming and cutting down trees for wood.
Sadly, this frog is not known to live in any protected areas. This makes it even harder to keep them safe from harm.
