Pristimantis savagei facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pristimantis savagei |
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The Pyburn's robber frog (scientific name: Pristimantis savagei) is a type of frog. It belongs to the family Strabomantidae. This frog is special because it is endemic to Colombia, meaning it's found only there. You can find it on the eastern side of the Eastern Andes Mountains in several areas like Boyacá, Casanare, Cundinamarca, and Meta. It also lives in a mountain range called the Serranía de la Macarena. The frog's scientific name, savagei, honors an American scientist named Jay M. Savage.
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What Does It Look Like?
These frogs are quite small! Adult male Pyburn's robber frogs are about 18 to 23 millimeters (0.7 to 0.9 inches) long. Female frogs are a bit bigger, measuring about 31 to 37 millimeters (1.2 to 1.5 inches) long.
Their head is narrower than their body. The front part of their head, called the snout, looks pointed from above and rounded from the side. They have a clear eardrum, known as a tympanum.
Their fingers have small ridges on the sides, and the outer fingers have wide, flat tips called discs. Their toes have a bit of webbing at the bottom and also have wide discs. The frog's back is usually tan or brown. It might have black marks on its shoulders and dark stripes near its eyes and eardrums. Sometimes, it has faint stripes along its back. The throat often has light brown speckles. Male frogs have a special pouch under their throat, called a vocal sac, which they use to make calls.
Where It Lives and How It's Protected
Pyburn's robber frogs live in forests near fast-flowing streams. They can be found at different heights, from about 1,000 to 2,400 meters (3,300 to 7,900 feet) above sea level. Some reports say they can live even higher, up to 3,000 meters (9,800 feet).
You can often spot them on low plants, usually less than half a meter (about 1.5 feet) off the ground. They can also live in forests that have grown back after being cut down.
Life Cycle
These frogs have a unique way of reproducing. They lay their eggs in leaf litter on the forest floor. The eggs develop directly into tiny frogs, meaning there is no tadpole stage that lives in water. This is called "direct development."
Conservation Status
The Pyburn's robber frog is common in places where it can find suitable homes. It's a very adaptable species, which means it can adjust to changes in its environment. Because of this, it's probably not facing major threats right now. However, its habitat could be lost in the future due to farming, like growing crops and raising cattle.
Scientists have found these frogs in areas where a fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is present. This fungus can cause a deadly disease in amphibians. But so far, the Pyburn's robber frog has tested negative for this fungus. The frog is also found in the Serranía de la Macarena, which is a protected area.
