Izecksohn's Brazilian tree frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Izecksohn's Brazilian tree frog |
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The Izecksohn's Brazilian treefrog (Xenohyla truncata) is a special type of tree frog. It belongs to the Hylidae family. This frog is unique because it's the only known frog in the world that mainly eats fruit!
It lives only in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This means it is endemic to that area.
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About the Izecksohn's Brazilian Treefrog
This frog lives along the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Its home stretches from the southern part of Espírito Santo to Ilha da Marambaia. It mostly lives in sandy coastal areas called restingas. You can also find it on some islands.
During the day, these frogs hide inside plants called bromeliads. They use these plants for shelter. When it's time to lay eggs, they breed in temporary pools of water. These pools appear after rain and then dry up.
How It Protects Itself
When this treefrog feels scared, it has a clever way to protect itself. It will tilt its head down and stretch out its legs. Then, it puffs up its body. This makes the frog look bigger and changes its shape. This trick helps it to blend in or scare away predators.
Why It Needs Our Help
The Izecksohn's Brazilian treefrog is listed as "near threatened." This means it could become endangered soon. It lives in a small area, less than 20,000 square kilometers. People building new homes and businesses are changing or destroying its restinga habitats. This makes it harder for the frogs to survive.
What It Looks Like
When Xenohyla truncata is young, it has white stripes on its sides. But as it grows up, these stripes disappear. Adult frogs are usually a solid brown or orange color.
What the Izecksohn's Brazilian Treefrog Eats
This frog is very special because it's the only known fruit-eating frog in the world! It eats many different kinds of plants. Some of these include Anthurium harrisii, Erythroxylum ovalifolium, and Maytenus obtusifolia.
Scientists have looked inside the stomachs of these frogs. They found many things like arthropods (insects and spiders), fruits, seeds, pods, fruit pulp, and flowers. The amount of plant material the frog eats changes. It depends on when the plants are blooming or fruiting. If plants are not available, the frog eats more arthropods instead.
How It Finds Food
The frog finds a fruit and simply snaps at it. It swallows the fruit whole. This frog also helps plants! It has been found to poop out seeds that can still grow. This means it helps spread the plants it eats to new places.
More About Its Diet
Some plants the frog eats, like Erythroxylum ovalifolium and Maytenus obtusifolia, have natural toxins. These are called alkaloids and terpenes. The Xenohyla truncata frog can actually release a chemical from its skin. This chemical, called N-phenyl-acetamide, can harm the liver and kidneys of other animals.
The frog also eats different arthropods. Many of these arthropods live inside bromeliads. These include cockroach larvae, dragonfly larvae, and crab spiders. This suggests that bromeliads are not just a hiding spot. They also provide a good food source for the frogs. Scientists have also found sand in the frog's stomach. This means the frog also looks for food on the ground.
Amazing Pollinator
This frog is the very first amphibian ever seen helping to pollinate plants! It has been observed pollinating Cordia taguahyensis and Iris x germanica flowers. This is a truly unique behavior for a frog.
