Frogs are well known for their sticky, whip-like tongues, rugged warts, and the colorful poisonous skin that covers some species. The group of Southeast Asian frogs has another distinguishing feature – tusks. Scientists recently discovered a new species of fanged frog that uses bony jaws that protrude from its lower jawbone to fight other frogs and hunt shell-encased prey such as giant centipedes and crabs. Limnonectes phylofolia It is also the smallest known species of tree frog and is described in the following literature: The study was published in the journal Dec. 20 Pro Swan.
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“This new species is smaller than other fanged frogs on the island where it was discovered, about a quarter of the size,” said study co-author and biologist Jeff Frederick. stated in a statement. “Many frogs in this genus are gigantic, weighing up to 2 pounds. This new species weighs, to put it simply, about the same as a dime.” Frederick is a postdoctoral fellow at the Field Museum in Chicago. I conducted this research as a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Berkeley.
This frog was discovered in the mountains of Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is a large island, measuring 71,898 square miles, with an extensive network of volcanoes, mountains, lowland rainforests, and mountain cloud forests.
“The existence of all these different habitats means that the magnitude of biodiversity in many plants and animals is unrealistic, comparable to places like the Amazon,” Frederick said. .
Members of the U.S.-Indonesia Amphibian and Reptile Collaborative Research Team noticed something surprising in the frog eggs, tree sapling leaves and moss-covered rocks of the jungle.
frog lay eggs covered with a jelly-like substance Instead of a hard, protective shell like a bird’s. Most amphibians lay their eggs in water to prevent them from drying out. Instead, these frogs left their egg masses on leaves and mossy rocks on the ground. After finding these nests, the research team began observing small brown frogs.
“Typically, when we look for frogs, we look at riverbank edges or walk through the river to find them directly in the water,” Frederick says. “However, after repeatedly observing the nests, the team started finding frogs sitting on leaves, hugging small nests.”
By coming into close contact with the eggs, the adult beetles coat the eggs with appropriate compounds that keep them moist and safe from bacterial and fungal contamination.they were named Limnonectes phylofolia, This translates to “nest of leaves.”
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The frogs that laid these eggs on leaves and rocks were small members of the tree frog family. All nest managers were male. According to Frederickit is rare for a male frog to protect its eggs. But it’s not unheard of. The researchers theorize that the frog’s unusual reproductive behavior may also be related to its small fangs. Among their relatives, Large fangs that help avoid competitionthese frogs probably evolved a way to lay their eggs away from the water and lost the need for such large fangs.
“It’s interesting that with each subsequent expedition to Sulawesi, new and diverse reproductive modes are discovered,” Frederick says. “Our findings also highlight the importance of protecting these very special tropical habitats. Most of the animals that live in places like Sulawesi are very unique; Habitat destruction is always a pressing conservation issue in order to conserve the huge diversity of species found there. Animals like these frogs, found nowhere else on Earth. Learning about them can help us advocate for protecting these precious ecosystems.”
