Creature 316: Trichobatrachus robustus

Hairy frog

Trichobatrachus robustus is known as the hairy frog or the wolverine frog.

It's a largish frog with hair-like structures towards the posterior. So what are they for? the structures are filled with blood vessels which absorb oxygen. They are basically like land gills. They also have bone-like structures which grow out of their hands earning their name the wolverine frog.

Distribution:
The hairy frog is from Central Africa.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Arthroleptidae
Genus: Trichobatrachus
Species: Trichobatrachus robustus

Image Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairy_Frog
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080623125003.htm

Creature 308: Rana kauffeldi

Not where you would expect to find a new amphibian

Rana kauffeldi is a type of leopard frog with no common name, and nothing particularly attention grabbing distinguishing it from other leopard frogs.

So what makes it bizarre? It was found on Staten Island, New York, 2008. Not exactly the unexplored jungles of Borneo and possibly one of the last place in the world you would expect to find a new vertebrate species.

Distribution:
It was first collected on Staten Island but can be found from Conneticut to North Carolina.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Ranidae
Genus: Rana 
Species: Rana kauffeldi 

Image Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Coast_leopard_frog

Creature 294: Notaden bendetti

A frog without water

Notaden bendetti can be called the Crucifix toad or the Holy cross frog. It is a smallish frog with a cross like color pattern on its back.

Their endemic range is a classic boom/bust ecosystem. It is usually dry with occasional flooding rains causing living thing to spring into action and reproduce before their habitats dry up again. This type of ecosystem is problematic for amphibians, who rely of water for at least part of their life-cycle. These guys get around the problem by burrowing under the ground and building themselves a sort of cocoon in which they wait for rain. When it does rain they quickly emerge, breed and lay their eggs. The new generation grow to adulthood within a few weeks to take advantage of the short window of opportunity provided by rain.

These toads also produce a strong adhesive glue when threatened. We are not actually sure what this is for, but it is very strong.

Distribution:
The Crucifix toad is endemic to the eastern desert biological region of Australia.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Myobatrachidae
Genus: Notaden
Species: Notaden bendetti 

Image Links:
http://kadesscienceproject.blogspot.com.au/2010/05/vertebrate-amphibian-crucifix-toad.html
http://www.comicvine.com/forums/off-topic-5/impurest-s-guide-to-animals-58-crucifix-toad-1652015/

Creature 210: Pipa pipa

This frog is not roadkill. It's supposed to be like that.

Description:
The Pipa pipa is a frog which is commonly called the Suriname toad in English.

When you have a toad which looks like that I don't know why you would name it after its location. Even the scientific name is more interesting as pipa means kite. Why couldn't we call it a kite toad? Anyway as you may have noticed it is very flat. They mimic rotting leaves on the bottom of swamps and slow moving bodies of water and are almost entirely aquatic. Their creepy long fingers are used to feel around for prey while remaining mostly motionless.

Female eggs are attached to their back when they are fertlised and develop in little pockets that form giving the female an even more bizarre appearance. The tadpoles develop here until they are ready to emerge.

Distribution:
The Pipa pipa is mostly found in the North of continental South America but it is also known from Trinidad and Tobago.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Pipidae
Genus: Pipa
Species: Pipa pipa

Image Links:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pipa_pipa_juillet_2007_-_3.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3207/3101439965_e08e30a04c_o.jpg

https://scottthong.wordpress.com/2007/03/22/

Creature 205: Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis

Frogs from beyond the grave

Description:
Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis is a species of frogs with purple frog as their surprisingly boring common name. They could have done so much more with this one.

Purple frogs are burrowing frogs, and unlike most burrowing frogs they are almost entirely subterranean.  They spend almost their whole life underground,  even feeding underground which is unusual behavior for a frog. They live off the termites which also live underground. They only come out for a couple of weeks every year during the monsoon for mating.

They are commonly found in human burial grounds. My guess is that this has something to do with the fact that burial grounds have loose soil for the frogs to burrow into and possible an abundance of termites feeding off wooden coffins. As the Purple frog will commonly dig up to 4 meters below the surface they are probably living underneath the graves. Therefore they come from beyond the grave.

Distribution:
Purple frogs are found in South West India.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Sooglossidae
Genus: Nasikabatrachus
Species: Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis

Image Links:

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/amphibians-face-raised-extinction-threat-6263377.html?action=gallery&ino=3

https://www.tumblr.com/search/nasikabatrachus%20sahyadrensis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_frog

Creature 195: Dyscophus

A really red frog.

Description:
Dyscophus is a genus of 3 species of frogs which are commonly called tomato frogs.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that their common name comes.from their color. As a defensive mechanism it expands when it feels threatened giving its body a rounded shape.  This only makes it look more like a tomato.

Distribution:
All 3 species are endemic to Madagascar.

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Dyscophus

Image Links:

https://web.stanford.edu/~siegelr/animalz/frogs.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyscophus_antongilii#/media/File:Dyscophus_antongilii02.jpg

Creature 186: Phyllobates terribilis

The most poisonous animal in the world doesn't produce its own poison.

Description:
Phyllobates terribilis may not look very terrible, but as its common name suggest the golden poison arrow frog is not to be trifled with. It is also known as the golden poison frog or the dart frog.

While this little frog has no delivery method for its toxins, its skin is so poisonous that a single frog's poison can kill up to 10000 mice. Don't eat it! The poison is used by natives to make their notorious poison darts.

Oddly enough the golden poison arrow frog doesn't produce any of its own poison. When held in captivity it will eventually lose the toxins in its skin and become harmless. It is presumed that the frog derives its poison from a major component of its normal diet, but we have been unable to determine exactly where it comes from, although it is probably a species of Merylid beetle as some species are known to produce these toxins, although not in the same concentration.

Distribution:

Phyllobates terribilis is endemic to the Pacific coast of Columbia.

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Dendrobatidae
Genus: Phyllobates
Species: Phyllobates terribilis

Image Links:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phyllobates-terribilis.jpg

http://www.worldlandtrust.org/news/2012/02/protection-one-worlds-deadliest-creatures

Creature 174: Theloderma corticale

A good impersonation of moss

Description:
Theloderma corticale is a frog. You may know it as the Vietnamese mossy frog.

If I had to give an award for the best plant impersonation by an animal, this animal would probably win. When I first saw a picture of these guys I remember looking for information about weather that was actual moss growing on it or just its skin. It turns out that it is just skin. They will often use their sticky foot pads to attach themselves to rocks just above the water level.

Distribution:
Unsurprisingly,  the Vietnamese mossy frog is known from Vietnam.  It is endemic to jungles in the North.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Rhacophoridae
Genus: Theloderma
Species: Theloderma corticale

Image Links:

http://amphibianrescue.org/tag/theloderma-corticale/

http://www.exo-terra.com/nactus/nactus2009-2010_nominees/cat3_4.php?lang=en

Creature 100: Atelopus

100 creatures. It's party toad time.

Yay, today marks the 100th straight day of a bizarre creature every day. I will give you the top 10 most viewed creatures tomorrow,  but I figured I should probably give today's creature, Atelopus at least a day to make it to the top 10. The results will obviously be biased towards older posts, but seeing as not many people seemed to take interest in the polls when I tried them this is the only measure I have. As a celebration of 100 days, I have decided to write about Atelopus today because it is so clearly a party toad.

Description:
Atelopus is a genus of toads which are commonly known as Harlequin toads, Harlequin frogs, clown frogs and subfoot toads. Colouration within the genus is highly variable,  but they are almost always guaranteed to put on a show.

You could be forgiven for thinking that this toad is that magic prince which some which had turned into a toad and those markings are magical runes, but I wouldn't kiss it if I were you, even if you happen to be a princess.  They excrete from their skin a potent neurotoxin called zetekitoxin, which is only found in this genus, although it has been speculated that this may be as a result of a symbiosis with a microbial organism.

Most species in the genus are believed to be in sharp decline, probably because of the spread of the dreaded Chitrid fungus which is an epidemic wiping out many species of amphibians all over the world.

Distribution:
Harlequin toads are found in the American tropics.

Classification:
Atelopus is a genus of true toads (family Bufonidae). They are not to be confused with Oophaga historanica, which is also commonly known as the harlequin frog. There are 86 species in the genus, but species are still being found indicating that we probably have not found all of them.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae
Genus: Atelopus

Image Links:
https://flutuante.wordpress.com/category/arte/
http://www.herptrips.com/AM505/AM505p3.htm
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atelopus_limosus_female_02.jpg

Creature 97: Rhacophorus vampyrus

Vampire flying frog

Description:
Deep in the rainforests of Vietnam on the tops of mountains lives the recently discovered flying amphibious fanged horror called Rhacophorus vampyrus otherwise known as Vampire Flying frogs. These arboreally adapted amphibians were discovered in 2008 and by the Australian Museum's Jodi Rowley.

The tadpoles of this frog have unusual fangs, which are for a purpose which we have not ascertained. The adults have extensive webbing between their toes which they use to glide between trees. They lay their eggs in  tree holes which have been filled with water at least 30 cm above the ground.

It is very difficult to find images of this species so I am getting them from the paper which described them.

Distribution:
The Vampire frog is found in the jungle of Vietnam at altitudes of around 1500 m and above.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Rhacophoridae
Genus: Rhacophorus
Species: Rhacophorus vampyrus

Image Links:
A new tree frog of the genus Rhacophorus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from southern Vietnam
J. L. Jodi,  L. E. Rowley, Thi Thuy Duong, Tran Thi Anh Dao, Bryan L. Stuart & Hoang Duc Huy.  Zootaxa 2727: 45-55
http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2010/f/zt02727p055.pdf

Creature 57: Paedophryne amauensis

A frog the size of a pea

Description:
I have spoken a lot about grossly enlarged organisms which often hold the title of the largest organism in their group. Today I will be showing  you the smallest frog and indeed the smallest vertebrate in the world. Paedophyrne amauensis was discovered in 2009 and described in 2012 and does not even reach 8 mm in length, that's one third of an inch. For those of you who think the generic name looks a little unusual it simply means child frog in Greek.The specific epithet comes from a town near where they were found.

Unlike most frogs this guy doesn't have a tadpole phase and its young are hatched as even smaller versions of the adult. Apparently their calls sound a lot like the noise of an insect. It is presumed that they specialize on eating tiny invertebrates such as mites.

They can jump nearly 25 cm, which may not seem like much, but considering that they are one thirtieth of that length it is quite impressive.

Distribution:
Paedophryne amauensis is only known from the Central Highlands in Papua New Guinea.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Paedophryne
Species: Paedophryne amauensis

Image Links:
http://goldenbookofrecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Golden-book-of-World-Records-Smallest-Frog-Professor-Chris-Austin-and-Eric-Rittmeyer-Louisiana-State-University-Amau-Papua-New-Guinea.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paedophryne_amauensis#mediaviewer/File:Paratype_of_Paedophryne_amauensis_(LSUMZ_95004).png

Creature 54: Centrolenidae

See through frogs + Is this the real hypnotoad?

Description:

Centrolenidae is a family of frogs with about 10 known genera and 60 species, first found in the nineteen century but most species and genera have been described in the 21st century. They are commonly known as glass frogs. The unusual thing about these fogs is that you can see through them.

That's right, while most of them may be colored and dorsally opaque of translucent the ventral side is normally colorless and transparent. 

You can see their organs through the skin. In an unusual twist of evolution their skeleton  is green in some species and can sometimes be seen from the outside. They are arboreal animals and only descend to the ground during breeding seasons. One particular strange looking species known as the ghost glass frog can change its color to match whatever leaf it is sitting on and has eyes which make it look like it is some kind of hypnotoad.

Distribution:

Glass frogs are found in Central and tropical South America.

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Centrolenidae

Image Links:

http://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/13694

http://www.nerdist.com/2014/05/miracles-of-weird-the-glass-frog/

http://www.thefeaturedcreature.com/watch-out-glass-frog-got-crazy-eyes/

Creature 41: Hemiphractidae

A very creepy frog

Description:
Hemiphractidae is a diverse family of frogs commonly known as marsupial frogs. Marsupial frogs earned their name from their unusual reproductive behavior.

If you are wondering what those lumps on its back are and you are nervously thinking of the name marsupial frog you're worst suspicions are correct.  Those lumps are full of tadpoles wriggling around as they grow large enough to tear open their mothers pouch and break free. Something about that seems really creepy even thought it is not all that different from mammalian reproductive strategies. The eggs are externally fertilised, as is standard in frogs, they are then moved onto the females back by the male.

The different generea and species of Hemiphractidae develop to different stages while inside their mothers skin. Some are released into the water as eggs, while others do not leave until they complete their tadpoles phase.
To add a little bit of creepiness to these frogs, Gastrotheca guentheri (a type of marsupial frog) is the only frog with teeth on its lower jaw.

Distribution:
Hemiphractidae are a tropical family found in central and south America.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hemiphractidae

Image Links:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Flectonotus_pygmaeus#mediaviewer/File:Flectonotus_pygmaeus02.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrotheca#mediaviewer/File:Gastrotheca_excubitor.jpg

Creature 4: Breviceps namaquensis

An inflatable real  frog

Description:
Breviceps namaquensis or the Desert rain frog, otherwise known as the Namaqua rain frog is the strange individual shown below.

They are a burrowing frog, spending most of their time under ground as do many frogs that live in arid environments. When they are threatened they inflate their body and make a squeaking which sounds something like a kids toy. This is supposed to intimidate, I'll let you be the judge of how effective it is. Watch it here:

Distribution:
Breviceps namaquensis is known from the arid west coast of South Africa. I can't seem to find any records that extend into Namibia, but I suspect that might be sampling error or a lack of knowledge on my part because species other than humans don't tend to pay much heed to political boundaries.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Brevicipitidae
Genus: Breviceps
Species: Breviceps namaquensis

Image links:
http://photodozen.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/namaqua-rain-frog.html
http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15179
https://www.tumblr.com/search/namaqua

Video links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBkWhkAZ9ds