Greater spikethumb frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greater spikethumb frog |
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Hyla avia (Stuart, 1952) |
The Plectrohyla avia, also known as the greater spikethumb frog, is a type of frog that belongs to the Hylidae family. You can find this special frog in Guatemala and Mexico. It lives on the Pacific side of the Sierra Madre mountains, specifically between southeastern Chiapas in Mexico and southwestern Guatemala.
What Does It Look Like?
The Plectrohyla avia is the biggest frog in its group, called Plectrohyla. Male frogs can grow to about 90 mm (about 3.5 inches) long, and females are a bit smaller, around 70 mm (about 2.7 inches). This frog was first described by Laurence Cooper Stuart in 1952.
It has a small but clear eardrum, called the tympanum. There's a thick skin fold above its eardrum that connects to another fold near its eye. Its fingers have only tiny bits of webbing, but its toes have a good amount of webbing. This frog has a unique "spikethumb" which is a simple, hard bump. It does not have vocal slits, which means it doesn't make calls in the usual way. The teeth on its upper jaw are long and stick out.
How Does It Reproduce?
Frogs of this species breed underwater. The male frog holds onto the female in a special way called amplexus. Male Plectrohyla avia frogs make a short, fast trilling sound to attract mates. They have been seen calling underwater and from small holes or cracks near waterfalls.
Where Does It Live and Is It Safe?
The Plectrohyla avia frog naturally lives in cloud forests. These forests are found high up in the mountains, usually between 1,700 and 2,200 meters (about 5,500 to 7,200 feet) above sea level. These frogs typically live in plants and trees along mountain streams. They have been seen reproducing at the very start of the rainy season in small pools of water. Their well-developed skin folds on the sides of their body might help them breathe through their skin.
This frog is considered uncommon or rare. It is threatened by habitat loss, which means its home is disappearing. This happens because forests are cut down and turned into farms. It is also threatened by a frog disease called chytridiomycosis. However, it might be more common than we think, but only active for a short time when the rainy season begins.
See also
In Spanish: Plectrohyla avia para niños
