Pristimantis balionotus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pristimantis balionotus |
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Pristimantis
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| Species: |
balionotus
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The Pristimantis balionotus, also known as the crest robber frog, is a type of frog. It belongs to the Strabomantidae family. This special frog lives only in Ecuador. We only know about it from where it was first found. This place is on the border between the Loja and Zamora-Chinchipe Provinces, high up in the Andes mountains of Ecuador.
What Does It Look Like?
Adult male crest robber frogs are about 21.8 to 22.2 millimeters long. That's about the length of two small paper clips! Female frogs are a bit bigger, measuring 27.1 to 29.1 millimeters.
Their snout (nose area) looks pointed from above and rounded from the side. You can see their tympanum, which is like their eardrum. Their fingers and toes have special sticky pads called discs. They also have skin folds on the sides of their fingers and toes, but no webbing like a duck's foot.
The skin on their back (called the dorsum) feels bumpy. The skin on their belly (called the ventrum) has small bumps and looks dirty white. It might also have some black spots. The back of the frog is usually dark brown with a few small marks.
The crest robber frog looks a lot like another frog called Pristimantis riveti. Some scientists think they might even be a different version of the same frog, just living in a different area.
Where Does It Live and Is It Safe?
The crest robber frog lives in a special kind of habitat called sub-páramo bushland. This is a type of shrubby grassland found high in the mountains, about 2,800 meters (or about 9,200 feet) above sea level. That's higher than many tall mountains!
These frogs have been found hiding in bromeliad plants during the day. Bromeliads are plants that often grow on other plants or on the ground.
The crest robber frog is not super rare, but its home is in danger. People are cutting down its habitat for farms and to plant pine trees. This means the frogs have less space to live. Luckily, some of these frogs live inside the Podocarpus National Park. This park helps protect their natural home and keeps them safe.
See also
