Pristimantis viejas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pristimantis viejas |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Pristimantis viejas is a type of frog that belongs to the Strabomantidae family. It lives only in the Andes mountains of Colombia. You can find it on the eastern side of the northern Central Mountain Range and on the western side of the Eastern Mountain Range.
The name viejas comes from a Spanish phrase meaning "pretty young women." This name was chosen to honor three female biologists who studied this frog.
What it Looks Like
Adult male Pristimantis viejas frogs are about 15 to 19 millimeters (0.6 to 0.7 inches) long. Female frogs are a bit bigger, measuring 24 to 29 millimeters (0.9 to 1.1 inches) from their snout to their rear end.
Their snout is long and pointy when you look at it from above. From the side, it looks rounded. The frog has a round, noticeable eardrum, called a tympanum.
Their fingers and toes have special edges called lateral fringes. They also have round tips, but they don't have webbing between them. The skin on their back has many small bumps.
The frog's back is a copper-brown color. It has irregular spots that can be cream, almost black, or orange. Its sides are dark brown with lighter stripes that slant downwards. The hidden parts of its thighs are dark brown with orange spots. The belly is usually white to pinkish. Sometimes, you might see grey patterns on its throat. The frog's eye color is pale copper to reddish-copper, with a thick black net-like pattern.
Where it Lives and How it's Protected
Pristimantis viejas lives in forests found in the lower parts of the Andes mountains. These forests are usually between 565 and 1,880 meters (1,854 to 6,168 feet) above sea level.
You can find these frogs under bushes, at the edge of forests, in forests that are growing back, and in open areas within forests. They are active at night. These frogs reproduce through something called "direct development." This means that instead of laying eggs that hatch into tadpoles, the eggs hatch directly into tiny frogs.
Pristimantis viejas is a common frog species that can adapt well to different environments. It seems to do well even when its forest home is slightly changed. Because of this, it is not currently facing any major threats.
See also
In Spanish: Pristimantis viejas para niños
