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Raorchestes parvulus facts for kids

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Raorchestes parvulus
Raorchestes parvulus (male).jpg
A male frog in Phu Kradueng National Park, Thailand
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Synonyms

Ixalus parvulus Boulenger, 1893
Rhacophorus parvulus (Boulenger, 1893)
Philautus parvulus (Boulenger, 1893)
Rhacophorus parvulus (Boulenger, 1893)

The Raorchestes parvulus is a tiny frog also known by several fun names like the Karin bubble-nest frog, tiny bubble-nest frog, dwarf bushfrog, or even the cricket frog. It belongs to the Rhacophoridae family, which includes many tree frogs.

You can find this little frog in many countries across Asia. It lives in places like eastern Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, northern Vietnam, Laos, and Peninsular Malaysia. Scientists think it might also live in northeastern India and southern China. A scientist named George Albert Boulenger first described this frog in 1893. He studied seven frogs found by Leonardo Fea in the Karen Hills area of Burma (now Myanmar).

Scientists are still learning about this frog. It's possible that what we call Raorchestes parvulus might actually be a group of very similar frog species!

What Does This Frog Look Like?

This is a really small frog! Male frogs are usually about 18 to 21 millimeters long. That's less than an inch, about the size of a small paperclip!

These frogs have a round snout, which is the front part of their head. Their eardrum, called a tympanum, is hidden. Their fingers and toes are short and have special sticky pads. These pads help them climb. Their fingers do not have webbing, but their toes have a little bit of webbing at the bottom.

The frog's back can be grey or brown. Some frogs might have a dark line or a triangle shape between their eyes. They might also have a curved dark band along their sides. Their back legs often have some dark stripes. Male frogs have a large vocal sac, which they puff out when they call.

Where Does This Frog Live?

The Raorchestes parvulus frog usually lives in evergreen forests. These are forests where trees stay green all year. But you can also find them in grasslands that have some heath forest patches.

These frogs spend most of their time in trees and thick plants. They can be found both far from water and close to small streams. They live at different heights, from about 46 meters (150 feet) to 1500 meters (almost 5,000 feet) above sea level. Male frogs like to call out from the plants to attract mates. Scientists believe that these frogs have "direct development." This means that instead of tadpoles, tiny froglets hatch directly from the eggs!

Sadly, these frogs might be losing their homes. This happens because of logging (cutting down trees) and more farms and towns being built. However, scientists don't think this frog is in danger overall. This is because it lives in many different places and there are probably a lot of them. They also live in several protected areas, which helps keep them safe.

Photos

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