Cave squeaker
| Cave Squeaker | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | A. troglodytes
|
| Binomial name | |
| Arthroleptis troglodytes Poynton, 1963
| |
The Cave Squeaker (Arthroleptis troglodytes) is a species of frog in the Arthroleptidae family. It is found in Zimbabwe and possibly Mozambique. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland and caves. Very little is known about this species of frog. It is taxonomically distinct from "true frogs" from the family Ranidae. The Cave Squeaker undergoes direct development, forgoing existence as a tadpole and hatching directly as miniature adults. This means that the embryo develops into a tadpole and subsequently into an adult frog before hatching. The eggs must still be laid in a damp location, however. This ability frees the Cave Squeaker from dependence on bodies of water for reproduction. This is a small species, measuring just 25 mm in total length. The tips of the fingers and toes are slightly swollen. The colouration of the dorsal (or upper) surface is light brown with slightly dark speckling on the back of the head, with the remainder of the back being dark brown with irregular dark markings. The arms and legs are strongly banded.[2] The cave squeaker is listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because its extent of occurrence is less than 100 km2 and its area of occupancy is less than 10 km2, all individuals are in a single location, and there might be a continuing decline in the number of mature individuals, due to climate change (or other unidentified threats).[3]
Sources
_Figure_3_(cropped).jpg){kind=small} | This Arthroleptidae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |