Sumaco horned treefrog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sumaco horned treefrog |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Hemiphractidae |
| Genus: | Hemiphractus |
| Species: |
H. proboscideus
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| Binomial name | |
| Hemiphractus proboscideus (Jiménez de la Espada, 1870)
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| Synonyms | |
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Cerathyla proboscidea Jiménez de la Espada, 1870 |
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The Hemiphractus proboscideus, also known as the Sumaco horned treefrog, is a special kind of frog. It belongs to the Hemiphractidae family. You can find this unique frog in the upper Amazon basin. It lives in parts of southwestern Colombia (in the Amazonas and Caquetá Departments), Ecuador, and northern Peru.
What Does It Look Like?
The Sumaco horned treefrog has a very interesting appearance!
- Male frogs are usually about 4.3 to 5 centimeters long.
- Female frogs are a bit larger, measuring about 5.2 to 6.7 centimeters long. This measurement is from their snout (nose) to their vent (bottom).
Its head looks like a triangle when you view it from above. The frog has a long, pointed nose, which is called a proboscis. It also has a large cone-shaped bump and several smaller bumps on its eyes.
The frog's colors can change depending on the time of day:
- At night, its body is yellowish. It has brown lines that go across or diagonally. Its legs have brown crossbars. The belly is a grayish-cream or white color.
- During the day, its back turns brown with darker brown markings. The underside of its body is brown to reddish-brown. It has orange or yellow spots on its belly. The throat area has yellow or white spots. Its tongue is bright orange!
Life Cycle and Behavior
It seems that these frogs can reproduce all year long. Young frogs have been seen in every month. The way they develop is called "direct development." This means that the eggs hatch directly into tiny frogs, without a tadpole stage. The female frog carries her eggs on her back until they hatch.
The Sumaco horned treefrog is a predator. This means it hunts and eats other animals, especially other frogs. At night, you can often find them sitting quietly on low plants. If something disturbs them, they will open their mouth wide to show off their bright orange tongue. They can also deliver a strong bite if they feel threatened!
Where It Lives and How We Protect It
The Sumaco horned treefrog lives in moist tropical forests. These forests are found at elevations from about 100 to 1200 meters above sea level. It is considered a rare species, meaning there aren't many of them.
Scientists haven't found any major threats to this frog's survival yet. However, its numbers have gone down in Ecuador for reasons that are not fully understood. The good news is that this frog's home includes several protected areas. These areas help keep its habitat safe.
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