Plectrohyla tecunumani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Plectrohyla tecunumani |
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The Plectrohyla tecunumani is a special kind of frog that belongs to the Hylidae family. It is also known as the cave spikethumb frog. This frog is found only in one specific area: the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes mountains in western Guatemala.
Scientists named this frog after Tecun Uman, who is a national hero in Guatemala. This makes the frog's name quite unique!
What Does It Look Like?
These frogs have a strong body. The first male frog ever studied was about 62 millimeters (about 2.4 inches) long from its snout to its bottom. Female frogs can be a bit smaller, up to 57 millimeters (about 2.2 inches) long.
Their head is narrower than their body. They have a clear fold of skin above their eardrum, which is called the supra-tympanic fold. The eardrum itself (called the tympanum) is easy to see in females but harder to spot in males.
The skin on their head and body is covered with many small, round bumps called tubercles. These bumps are smaller and fewer on their legs. They also have some larger bumps below their eyes. Their fingers do not have webbing but have special skin fringes. Their toes are about two-thirds webbed, which means there is skin between most of their toes.
About the Tadpoles
The baby frogs, called tadpoles, can grow up to 64 millimeters (about 2.5 inches) long. They have a body that is oval-shaped and flattened from top to bottom. Their tail is strong and muscular, with fins that are not very wide.
Where It Lives and Why It Needs Help
The Plectrohyla tecunumani frogs live in small caves that have streams running through them. These caves are high up in the mountains of western Guatemala, between 3,200 and 3,395 meters (about 10,500 to 11,140 feet) above sea level. Adult frogs probably also live in the pine forests around these mountains. The tadpoles stay in the streams inside the caves.
This frog is only known to live in two places. The first place where it was found has changed a lot, and its natural home has been damaged. When scientists visited in 1989, they couldn't find any frogs there. They found just one tadpole nearby in 1995. A new group of these frogs was found in 2002.
There isn't much good habitat left for these frogs, and most of it is damaged. Also, a serious frog disease called chytridiomycosis is a big danger to them. Because of these threats, the Plectrohyla tecunumani is considered "critically endangered". This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever.
See also
In Spanish: Plectrohyla tecunumani para niños
