Telmatobius chusmisensis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Telmatobius chusmisensis
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Telmatobius chusmisensis is known from the region of its type locality in northern Chile

The Telmatobius chusmisensis is a special type of frog that lives only in northern Chile. This means it is endemic to that area, found nowhere else in the world! It belongs to a frog family called Telmatobiidae. Its name, chusmisensis, comes from Chusmisa, the place where it was first discovered.

What Does the Chusmisa Water Frog Look Like?

These frogs have some interesting features!

• Size: Male frogs are about 50 to 53 millimeters long. Females are a bit bigger, measuring 57 to 63 millimeters from their snout (nose) to their vent (bottom).
• Body: Their head is a little narrower than their body. They have strong front legs and long back legs with webbed toes, which are great for swimming!
• Color: Their back is usually light brown or greenish-brown. It has many tiny black spots. Their belly is white or light yellow. The underside of their thighs is light brown and can have cool apricot-colored spots.
• Skin: Their skin on the back, sides, and legs feels a bit bumpy because it's covered with small, spiky granules.

How Do Chusmisa Water Frog Tadpoles Grow?

The baby frogs, called tadpoles, are quite large!

• Young tadpoles can be from 38 to 99 millimeters long in total. Their body length (without the tail) is about 15 to 37 millimeters.
• Just before they change into frogs (a process called metamorphosis), one tadpole was measured at 33 millimeters long from snout to vent.

Where Do Chusmisa Water Frogs Live?

The Telmatobius chusmisensis lives in specific spots in the Andes mountains of Chile.

• They are found at high places, from 1,800 to 4,500 meters (about 5,900 to 14,700 feet) above sea level.
• At the place where they were first found, Chusmisa, these frogs lived in a small, slow-moving stream. This area is a semi-desert, meaning it's very dry.
• Adult frogs like to hide under stones in the water. Tadpoles hide among the water plants along the stream banks.
• Because they need water in a dry area, these frogs live in separate groups. A big danger to them is when people take too much water from the surface.
• Sadly, these frogs are not found in any protected areas right now.

See also

In Spanish: Telmatobius chusmisensis para niños