Desert Rain Frog

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http://theecolologist.tumblr.com/post/43590515754/strange-squeakcies-this-frogs-call-aint-no

This little sandy ball of hilarious squeaky cuteness is a desert rain frog* (Breviceps macrops). Although it has elsewhere been reported to be a mating call, the sound it’s so ardently emitting is actually a warning call, triggered by the presence of a threat such as a predator (or in this case, most likely the perceived threat of big bad Dean and his camera). Other species of frog are also known to make this type of warning call and a quick search of YouTube will bring up more examples of it, however I’ve yet been able to find one that’s quite as cute as this lil’ guy!

The desert rain frog is a fossorial species, spending most of its life buried under the sand hiding from predators (hence the state of our new celebrity) and only surfaces at night to feed. Its eggs are laid in underground chambers and are covered in a thick, viscous, jelly-like substance. Once the eggs hit tadpole stage, the jelly softens into a fluid in which they live until they fully metamorphose into frogs (absorbing nutrients from the egg yolk as they grow). This lack of dependence on water for the tadpole stage is what makes this dumpy dude particularly and uniquely suited to life in an arid environment.

Desert Rain Frog

(Breviceps macrops)

is a species of frog that is found in shrubland and shores in Namibia and South Africa. they can be identified by their plumpness, short snout and limbs and on their underside they have a transparent area of skin in which you can see their internal organs. they are nocturnal spending their entire day in a burrow that they dig then at night they emerge and wander the beach, they spend time around patches of dung where they wait for bugs. they are called rain frogs because they are known to come up when it rains. they are also victims to habitat loss and are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.

Phylogeny

Animalia-Chordata-Amphibia-Anura-Microhylidae-Breviceps

Description[edit]

The desert rain frog is a small, plump species with bulging eyes, a short snout, short limbs, spade-like feet and webbed toes. On the underside it has a transparent area of skin through which its internal organs can be seen. Its colour is yellowish-brown and it often has sand adhering to its skin.^[3]

Distribution and habitat[edit]

The desert rain frog is endemic to a coastal strip of land about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) wide in Namibia and South Africa. This area of sand dunes often has sea fog rolling in which supplies some moisture in an otherwise arid region. There is some xerophytic vegetation in the area and in the spring, thedesert blooms. The locations in which this frog is found have at least one hundred foggy days per year.^[3]

Behaviour[edit]

The desert rain frog is nocturnal, spending the day in a burrow which it has dug to a depth of 10 to 20 centimetres (3.9 to 7.9 in) where the sand is moist. It emerges on both foggy and clear nights and wanders about over the surface of the dunes. Its footprints are distinctive and are often found around patches of dung where it is presumed to feed on moths, beetles and insect larvae. It digs its way into the sand in the morning and its presence in a locality can be deduced from the little pile of loose sand dislodged by its burrowing activities.^[4] Breeding is by direct development of eggs laid in its burrow and there is no aqueous tadpole stage.^[1]

Status[edit]

The desert rain frog is listed as "Vulnerable" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Its total range is smaller than 2,000 square kilometres (770 sq mi) and is fragmented and the number of individual frogs seems to be decreasing. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by opencast diamond mining, road making and increased human settlement.^[1]