Andean Water Frog facts for kids
Telmatobius ventriflavum, also known as the Andean Water Frog, is a special type of water frog. You can find these frogs in the western Andes mountains of Peru. They are known for their unique yellow bellies!
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What's in a Name?
The name ventriflavum comes from two Latin words. Venter means "belly," and flavus means "yellow." So, the frog's name literally means "yellow belly," which perfectly describes its bright underside!
How Was This Frog Found?
Scientists discovered specimens of the Andean Water Frog in October 2012. This happened during a special survey by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. In February 2015, they officially described it as a brand new species. They published their findings in a science journal called ZooKeys.
Finding this frog was quite a surprise! The area where it was found usually doesn't have many different species. Also, two other types of Telmatobius frogs live nearby. Another surprising thing was that the discovery spot was easy to reach, right near a main highway. This made it even more unusual that such a unique frog hadn't been found before!
What Does It Look Like?
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The Andean Water Frog has a slender body. Female frogs are a bit larger than males. Females measure about 4.9 to 5.6 centimeters (2 to 2.2 inches) long. They weigh between 11.5 and 19.7 grams (0.4 to 0.7 ounces). Males are usually around 4.8 centimeters (1.9 inches) long and weigh about 13.6 grams (0.5 ounces).
Their heads are flat and wider than they are long. They have large eyes and a rounded snout. Their tongues are rounded, and they don't have vocal slits, which means they don't make loud croaking sounds like some other frogs.
These frogs do not have webbing between their fingers. However, they do have webbing on their toes, which helps them swim. Their skin is smooth both on their bellies and backs. But, their backs have tiny, miniature bumps.
The color on their backs can be light golden-yellow or golden-tan. It often has dark brown, golden-yellow, and red spots. Their sides are tan-yellow, fading into a bright golden-yellow or marigold color on their throats and bellies. The color of their legs is different between males and females. Males have bright marigold or orange undersides on their legs. Females usually have golden-yellow or light marigold legs. A cool feature is the thin turquoise rings around their light grey eyes!
Where Does This Frog Live?
You can find the Andean Water Frog at very high elevations, around 3,900 meters (about 12,800 feet) above sea level. They might even live as high as 4,300 meters (about 14,100 feet). They live on the western side of the Andes mountains in Peru.
So far, scientists have only found these frogs in one specific place. This place is a stream that flows into the Huaytará river. This river is a branch of the Pisco river. The area around the stream is a dry, grassy plain called Puna grassland. Most of the rain in this region falls between January and March.
The frogs were found in a small stream, about 10 meters (33 feet) wide. This stream has parts with gravel and pebbles, forming small pools. It also has small waterfalls and fast-flowing sections called riffles. The dry environment around them limits where these frogs can go, keeping them in a small area.
How Do They Reproduce?
Scientists believe that these frogs have a long breeding season. They think the frogs might even breed during the dry season. This idea comes from looking at the different stages of tadpoles they have found.
What Threats Do They Face?
The home of the Andean Water Frog is affected by a dam and a reservoir. These are located about 500 meters (1,640 feet) downstream from where the frogs were first found. Building pipelines and roads also threaten their habitat. Water pollution from nearby mining and farming is another big problem for these frogs.
Scientists have also seen these frogs infected with a dangerous fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. This fungus causes a disease called chytridiomycosis. This disease has caused huge problems for other Telmatobius frog species across South America. For example, three species in Ecuador have become extinct because of this fungus. It has also caused declines in other species in Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia. About 40% of adult Andean Water Frogs and over 50% of their tadpoles were found to be infected.
See Also
- List of amphibians of Peru
