Rhombophryne serratopalpebrosa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rhombophryne serratopalpebrosa |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Microhylidae |
| Subfamily: | Cophylinae |
| Genus: | Rhombophryne |
| Species: |
R. serratopalpebrosa
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| Binomial name | |
| Rhombophryne serratopalpebrosa (Guibé, 1975)
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The Madagascar Spiny-Eyed Frog, also known as Rhombophryne serratopalpebrosa, is a special type of frog. It lives only on the island of Madagascar. This frog belongs to a family called microhylid frogs, which are usually small and live in hidden places.
Scientists have found that this frog might actually be a group of very similar frogs, called a species complex. This means there could be more than one species that look alike. Since 2014, five new frog species have been discovered from this group. Sadly, the Madagascar Spiny-Eyed Frog is currently facing threats, mainly because its home is disappearing.
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Where Does This Frog Live?
The Madagascar Spiny-Eyed Frog is found only in the Marojejy mountains in northern Madagascar. So far, scientists are only sure it lives in this one specific area. The first frog of this kind ever found was high up in the Marojejy mountains.
Any reports of this frog living outside of Marojejy National Park might actually be about other similar frog species. For now, we know for sure that Rhombophryne serratopalpebrosa calls this single mountain range its home.
What Does the Spiny-Eyed Frog Look Like?
The first Madagascar Spiny-Eyed Frog ever studied was about 29 mm (1.1 in) long. That's roughly the size of a large paperclip! Its fingers and toes are not webbed, which means they don't have skin between them like a duck's foot.
The skin on its back is a bit bumpy or "grainy." One of its most interesting features is that it has four small spines above each eye. The spine furthest back is a bit harder to see than the others.
How Scientists Study This Frog
Scientists first described Rhombophryne serratopalpebrosa in 1975. At that time, they thought it belonged to a different group of frogs called Plethodontohyla. Later, other scientists moved it to the Rhombophryne group.
The first description of this frog was quite short. So, in 2014, scientists wrote a more detailed description. This helped them study the whole group of similar Rhombophryne serratopalpebrosa frogs more closely.
Frog Relatives with Spiny Eyes
Many of the closest relatives of Rhombophryne serratopalpebrosa also have those cool spines above their eyes. These include frogs like Rhombophryne vaventy, R. coronata, R. ornata, R. tany, R. regalis, and R. diadema. Together, these frogs form what scientists call the "Rhombophryne serratopalpebrosa species group."
Scientists think R. regalis might be its closest relative. R. regalis is smaller but shares some features, like an S-shaped fold behind its nose. However, it's hard to be completely sure about their family tree because there isn't enough genetic information from R. serratopalpebrosa yet.
 | Lonnie Johnson |
 | Granville Woods |
 | Lewis Howard Latimer |
 | James West |
