Rhombophryne vaventy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rhombophryne vaventy |
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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. vaventy
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| Binomial name | |
| Rhombophryne vaventy Scherz, Ruthensteiner, Vences & Glaw, 2014
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Rhombophryne vaventy is a type of large frog that lives only on the island of Madagascar. It belongs to a group of frogs called microhylids, which are known for being small. However, R. vaventy is one of the biggest frogs in its family! Scientists officially described this frog in 2014.
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Where This Frog Lives
Rhombophryne vaventy can only be found in one special place: the Marojejy mountains in northern Madagascar. Scientists first discovered two of these frogs high up in these mountains. This means the frog is endemic to this area, which means it lives nowhere else in the world.
What Rhombophryne vaventy Looks Like
This frog can grow up to about 52 millimeters long, which is a little over 2 inches. Its back skin is very bumpy and rough. Unlike some frogs, it does not have webbing between its fingers or toes. It also has very long legs, which help it move around.
One cool thing about Rhombophryne vaventy is that it has four small, uneven spines above each eye. These spines are a special feature that helps scientists tell it apart from other frogs.
Home and Habits
Rhombophryne vaventy lives in rainforests high up in the Marojejy mountains. It prefers areas around 1,300 meters (about 4,265 feet) above sea level.
Like most frogs in its group, R. vaventy spends its time on the ground. It might even dig into the soil a bit, which is called being fossorial. This frog is a generalist predator, meaning it eats many different things. We know it likes to eat large pill millipedes, especially those from the Zoosphaerium group. Scientists are still learning about how these frogs reproduce or what their calls sound like.
How Scientists Identify This Frog
For a while, Rhombophryne vaventy was sometimes confused with another frog called R. serratopalpebrosa. But scientists have now figured out the differences. R. vaventy is different because of its size, the spines above its eyes, and the texture of its skin.
By studying these differences, scientists have also found other new frog species. These include R. ornata and R. tany.
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