Spotted bush frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spotted bush frog |
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| Raorchestes tinniens | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus: | Raorchestes |
| Species: |
R. tinniens
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| Binomial name | |
| Raorchestes tinniens (Jerdon, 1853)
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| Synonyms | |
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Raorchestes tinniens, also known as the spotted bush frog, is a small frog. It lives in the Nilgiri Hills in southern India. This area is part of the Western Ghats. You can find this frog in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It's a special frog because it's endemic to this region. This means it lives nowhere else in the world. Scientists sometimes call it the 'tinkling Nilgiri bush frog' because of its calls.
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What Does This Frog Look Like?
Male spotted bush frogs are about 18 to 22 millimeters long. That's less than an inch! Females are a bit bigger. They measure 25 to 28 millimeters. Their backs are grey-brown. Their eyes are a dark, blackish-brown color. The sides of their bodies and their groin area are dark brownish-black. Their bellies feel rough and bumpy.
There's another type of frog, called "Ixalus montanus", from a place called Kudremukh. These frogs are larger. Males are about 29 millimeters long. Females are even bigger, at about 36 millimeters. They also have yellowish-brown sides and groin, not dark brown.
Where Does This Frog Live?
The spotted bush frog lives in the Nilgiri Hills and nearby areas. It's a land-dwelling frog. You can find it on the ground or low down in plants. It likes forests that are always green and moist. These are called montane tropical moist evergreen forests. But it can also live in grasslands. Sometimes, it's found in areas changed by people, if they are close to forests. This frog is common where it lives. However, its home is shrinking. Scientists think its numbers are going down. They have seen this frog living between 1700 and 2465 meters above sea level.
Life Cycle of the Spotted Bush Frog
Male frogs make calls even during the daytime. The Raorchestes tinniens has a special way of growing up. It has direct development. This means there is no tadpole stage that swims freely in water. Instead, the eggs are laid in a hole in the ground. Tiny froglets hatch after about 19 days. They look like small versions of the adult frogs.
Why Is This Frog in Trouble?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says this frog is endangered. This is because it lives in a small area. And that area is losing its natural habitat very quickly.
People are changing the frog's forest home. They build plantations for trees like eucalyptus, wattle, and pine. They also build homes and areas for grazing cattle. Chemicals like pesticides and herbicides can also harm or kill these frogs. Tourists visiting the hills can scare the frogs. They might also leave trash behind.
Scientists say climate change is another big problem. It has changed the monsoon rain patterns where the frog lives. This can cause other issues, like landslides. Since the frog lives high up in the mountains, it cannot easily move to cooler places.
A fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been found on other frogs in the Raorchestes group. This fungus causes a disease called chytridiomycosis. This disease can be very dangerous for frogs.
Some frogs have been seen with unusual body shapes. Scientists think ultraviolet radiation might be causing these deformities.
Some animals hunt this frog. These include the bronze-headed vine snake and Horsfield's spiny lizard. People who move near the frog's habitat sometimes bring domestic cats with them. These cats can also hunt and eat the frogs.
Frog Family Tree
Scientists are still studying the Raorchestes tinniens. They think it might be the same species as Raorchestes punctatus and R. melanensis. This means these frogs might all be very closely related.
 | Bayard Rustin |
 | Jeannette Carter |
 | Jeremiah A. Brown |
