Ptychadena guibei facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ptychadena guibei |
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The Ptychadena guibei, also known as Guibe's grass frog, is a type of frog that belongs to the family Ptychadenidae. This frog is found in several countries in southern and central Africa. You can find it in parts of Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, and northern Mozambique. The frog was named guibei to honor Jean Guibé, a French scientist who studied animals, especially reptiles and amphibians.
What Does Guibe's Grass Frog Look Like?
Adult male Guibe's grass frogs are usually about 36 to 38 millimeters (1.4 to 1.5 inches) long from their snout (nose) to their vent (the end of their body). Female frogs are a bit larger, measuring about 45 to 47 millimeters (1.8 to 1.9 inches).
These frogs have a body and legs that are quite slender. Their head is pointed, and their snout sticks out noticeably. They have a clear eardrum, called a tympanum, on the side of their head. Their back, or dorsum, has three pairs of long skin folds near the front and four to five pairs closer to the back.
Their fingers and toes have rounded tips. Their toes are about two-thirds webbed, which helps them swim. The color on their back often includes rows of black, oval-shaped spots. They also have a wide, light-colored stripe down the middle of their back, sometimes with a thinner light line in the very center. Their lower legs, called tibia, have black stripes across them.
Male frogs have two vocal sacs, which they inflate to make calls. They also have special rough patches on their thumbs, called nuptial pads, which help them hold onto the female during breeding.
Where Does Guibe's Grass Frog Live?
Guibe's grass frogs live in wet grasslands and savanna areas. They are often found in places called dambos, which are grassy wetlands that get flooded during the rainy season. These frogs usually live in higher, upland areas, but their range extends all the way to the coast in Mozambique.
When it's time to reproduce, these frogs breed in shallow, temporary ponds and pools. The male frogs will call from hidden spots close to the water to attract females.
This frog species is quite common and is not currently facing major threats across its entire range. There might be some local threats in specific areas, but overall, the species is doing well. It lives in protected places like the Upemba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and likely in many other protected areas too.
