Marsupial frog
Marsupial frogs are a unique group of amphibians notable for their resemblance to marsupial mammals, particularly in their reproductive method. Named for their pouch-like structures, female marsupial frogs carry their young along their backs until they are fully developed, similar to how kangaroos carry their offspring. These frogs, which belong to the family Hemiphractidae, can be found in the lowland rainforests of Central and South America, where they thrive among trees and branches. Typically measuring between one and four inches in length, these frogs exhibit green or brown skin adorned with speckled markings, and they are characterized by their horizontally elliptical pupils.
Marsupial frogs are primarily nocturnal, searching for insects to eat at night while often hiding from predators during the day. Their hunting technique involves using their eyes to help swallow prey, a unique adaptation among amphibians. Despite their fascinating biology, many species of marsupial frogs are facing significant threats, with some, like the horned marsupial frog, classified as critically endangered. The lifespan of these frogs is generally around five years, and recent discoveries continue to shed light on the diversity within this intriguing group.
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Marsupial frog
Marsupial frogs were named marsupial for their likeness to some of the marsupial mammals in the world. Marsupials, like the kangaroo, carry their young in pouches against their bellies. Marsupial frogs also carry their young in pouches, but theirs are along their backs.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hemiphractidae
Genus: Gastrotheca
Species: Various (see below)
Marsupial frogs first see the world around them from their mothers' pouches. They are carried in these pouches until they are tiny, fully-formed frogs. Depending on the mother's size, a female marsupial frog may carry between 4 and 200 young within her pouch. When the young are fully developed, they hop out of their mothers' pouches and survive independently. These pouches are similar to the pouches of mother kangaroos. Marsupial frogs mate during the tropical rainy season of Central and South America.
Fully grown marsupial frogs are between one and four inches (3 and 10 centimeters) long. They have green or brown skin with speckled black markings. Some have lines or stripes running the length of their backs. Marsupial frogs also have horizontally elliptical pupils. Pupils are the black areas of the eyes that open and close to let in light. Horizontally elliptical pupils are bands of black running from left to right in the center of the eyes. Different kinds of animals have different shaped pupils. Humans have round pupils, while cats and some snakes have vertically elliptical pupils.
Marsupial frogs grow up and live among the trees and branches of the lowland rainforests of Central and South America. Marsupial frogs are mainly nocturnal. This means they rest during the day and are more active at night. During the day, marsupial frogs often sleep in damp, dark spots hiding from predators like snakes and birds.
As carnivores, or meat-eating animals, marsupial frogs feed mainly on insects. They may hunt insects among the leaves and twigs along the branches of the forest trees or leap into the air to catch flying insects. When marsupial frogs swallow their prey, they close their eyes and retract their eyes deep into their heads. Their eyes help push the food down into their throats. The Guenther's marsupial frog (Gastrotheca guentheri) is the only frog species with teeth on its bottom jaw.
In 2021, scientists discovered a new marsupial frog species, Gastrotheca gemma.
Many populations of marsupial frogs are in decline. The horned marsupial frog (Gastrotheca cornuta) is critically endangered and the gold-spotted Marsupial Frog (Gastrotheca aureomaculata) is endangered. The Rana Marsupial Lojana (Gastrotheca lojana) and Abra Acanacu marsupial frog (Gastrotheca excubitor) are vulnerable.
Marsupial frogs have a lifespan of around five years.
Species include:
Andean marsupial tree frog Gastrotheca riobambae
Mount Tucuche tree frog Flectonotus fitzgeraldi
Puerto Cabello tree frog Flectonotus pygmaeus
Bibliography
"Horned Marsupial Frog." The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2021, www.iucnredlist.org/species/55329/54345361. Accessed 1 May 2024.
Venegas, Pablo J. "A New Species of Marsupial Frog (Anura; Gastrotheca) from the Cordillera De Colán in Northeastern Peru." Vertebrate Zoology, no. 71, 2021, pp. 201–218, doi.org/10.3897/vz.71.e60097.