Sphenophryne thomsoni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sphenophryne thomsoni |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Microhylidae |
| Genus: | Sphenophryne |
| Species: |
S. thomsoni
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| Binomial name | |
| Sphenophryne thomsoni (Boulenger, 1890)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Thomson's toothless frog, officially known as Sphenophryne thomsoni, is a small frog. It belongs to the Microhylidae family. This special frog lives only in Papua New Guinea. You can find it in the southeastern part of New Guinea, the Louisiade Archipelago, the d'Entrecasteaux Islands, and Woodlark Island. It used to have its own unique group called Genyophryne. The name thomsoni honors Basil Thomson, a British officer and writer.
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Meet Thomson's Toothless Frog
This interesting frog is called "toothless" because it doesn't have true teeth. It's a unique creature found only in certain parts of the world.
What Does It Look Like?
The Thomson's toothless frog can grow up to 38 mm (1.5 in) long. That's about the length of your thumb! It has a very wide body. Its head is quite flat and almost as wide as its body.
Its fingers are short and do not have any special sticky pads. The first toe is very short. The other toes are longer and have small, grooved pads. The frog's snout is round. Its eyes are small, and you can barely see its eardrum (called the tympanum).
This frog has some faint skin folds. One pair is near its eyes, meeting in the shoulder area before spreading out. When seen after being preserved, these frogs are usually gray or light tan. They often have a dark mark behind their eardrum. Sometimes, this mark continues as a faint stripe behind the eye. Dark spots are also found on its back. The underside of the frog is pale and clean.
Where Does It Live?
The Thomson's toothless frog lives on the forest floor. It prefers primary tropical rainforests. These forests are found at elevations below 500 m (1,600 ft). Some of these frogs have been heard calling at night during light rain.
Life Cycle of the Frog
Unlike many frogs, the Thomson's toothless frog has a special way of growing up. Its development is direct. This means there is no free-swimming tadpole stage. Instead, the young frogs hatch directly from eggs as tiny froglets. They look like miniature versions of the adult frogs.
Why Is This Frog Special?
This frog is quite common in its habitat. It is not currently facing major threats. On Tagula Island, people use this frog for a special purpose. They believe that if the frog is placed in the ground, it helps the land become more fertile. This means it is thought to help plants grow well. This practice is not happening so much that it would harm the frog's population. The species also lives in the Kamiali Wildlife Management Area, which helps protect it.
 | Roy Wilkins |
 | John Lewis |
 | Linda Carol Brown |
