Ornate Burrowing Frog

Platyplectrum ornatum és una espècie de granota de la família dels miobatràquids. Es tracta d'un endemisme d'Austràlia. Es troba des de Kimberley (Austràlia Occidental), al llarg del nord del Territori del Nord i nord i sud-est de Queensland fins a la costa central de Nova Gal·les del Sud.^[1]

Habita en zones seques tant costaneres com interiors, incloent zones boscoses, prats i sabanes. Se sol trobar en cursos d'aigua secs i sorrencs, a certa distància d'aigua permanent.^[1] Passen l'estació seca enterrats sota la superfície en un estat dorment. Es reprodueix després de fortes pluges en aigües temporals poc profundes.^[1]

Els mascles canten mentre floten sobre la superfície de l'aigua (com per exemple sobre bassals). Les femelles ponen al voltant de 1.000 ous en un niu d'escuma que s'esfondra poques hores després formant una capa flotant.^[1] Les femelles poden criar més d'una vegada en una temporada.^[1]

Referències

The ornate burrowing frog (Platyplectrum ornatum) is a species of ground frog native to Australia. It was moved to the genus Opisthodon in 2006, following a major revision of amphibians, and is now classified in the genus Platyplectrum.^[2]

Description

A male ornate burrowing frog calling

This frog is a relatively small and stubby species, growing no larger than 50 mm. It ranges in colour from grey to brown to yellow, and the dorsal surface patterns vary greatly between specimens. There is usually a butterfly-shaped patch behind the eyes. The dorsum is generally covered with red-tipped warts, and skin folds are present towards the head. The legs and arms are barred or spotted with darker markings. Toes have a slight webbing, while fingers have none.

It has the smallest genome known to any frog, and is even smaller than that of many birds. This is an adaptation to the desert environment where it lives. Because the ponds where they breed dries up fast in the desert, the tadpoles has to go through metamorphosis as fast as possible, which can occur just eleven days after the eggs were fertilized. A small genome gives small cells, and the smaller the cells are, the faster the tadpoles transform into small frogs and can escape the shrinking ponds.^[3]

Ecology and behaviour

This species distribution ranges from western Sydney to Cape York in Queensland, running along either side of the Great Dividing Range across to Western Australia. It occurs in both wet sclerophyll forest in coastal areas and in woodland in more arid regions. As its name suggest, this species of frog burrows. It burrows feet first, enlarged tubercles on the frogs feet help them in scraping out soil. This species is usually only seen after heavy rain during spring or summer. Males call while floating in still water bodies such as dams, puddles and flooded grassland. The call is a short, nasal "unk" repeated slowly.

Breeding

Breeding occurs only after heavy rain. Up to 1600 eggs are deposited in a small, dome shaped foam mass that soon collapses into a single floating film layer of eggs and jelly. Tadpoles reach 50mm but commonly only reach 36 mm in length. The dorsum is a dusky grey or brown. The side of the body has silver and/or gold flecking and the tail has grey-silver flecks.

Similar species

This species looks very similar to Spencer's burrowing frog, Platyplectrum spenceri and some Neobatrachus species. It is distinguished from all of these species by the reduced webbing and mating call.

References

• Anstis, M. 2002. Tadpoles of South-eastern Australia. Reed New Holland: Sydney.
• Barker, J.; Grigg, G.C.; Tyler, M.J. (1995). A Field Guide to Australian Frogs. Surrey Beatty & Sons.

Platyplectrum ornatum es una especie de anfibios de la familia Limnodynastidae. Se encuentra Australia.

Referencias

• Anstis, M. 2002. Tadpoles of South-eastern Australia. Reed New Holland: Sídney.
• Barker, J.; Grigg, G.C.; Tyler, M.J. (1995). A Field Guide to Australian Frogs. Surrey Beatty & Sons.

Platyplectrum ornatum Platyplectrum generoko animalia da. Anfibioen barruko Limnodynastidae familian sailkatuta dago, Anura ordenan.

Erreferentziak

Ikus, gainera

• Limnodynastidae

Platyplectrum ornatum est une espèce d'amphibiens de la famille des Limnodynastidae^[1].

Répartition

Aire de répartition de l'espèce Platyplectrum ornatum selon l'UICN (consulté le 2 février 2013).

Cette espèce est endémique d'Australie. Elle se rencontre sur une vaste étendue qui s'étend de la région de Kimberley en Australie-Occidentale à la côte centrale de la Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, à travers le Nord du Territoire du Nord, le Nord et le Sud-Est du Queensland^[1],[2].

Galerie

Publication originale

• Gray, 1842 : Description of some hitherto unrecorded species of Australian reptiles and batrachians. Zoological Miscellany, vol. 2, p. 51-57 (texte intégral).

Notes et références

Limnodynastes ornatus é uma espécie de anfíbio da família Limnodynastidae.

É endémica da Austrália.

Os seus habitats naturais são: savanas áridas, matagal árido tropical ou subtropical, campos de gramíneas subtropicais ou tropicais secos de baixa altitude, pântanos e marismas intermitentes de água doce.^[1]

Referências

Limnodynastes ornatus (tên tiếng Anh: Ornate Burrowing Frog hoặc Ornate Frog) là một loài ếch thuộc họ Myobatrachidae. Đây là loài đặc hữu của Úc. Môi trường sống tự nhiên của chúng là xavan khô, vùng cây bụi khô khu vực nhiệt đới hoặc cận nhiệt đới, đồng cỏ khô nhiệt đới hoặc cận nhiệt đới vùng đất thấp, đầm nước, và đầm nước ngọt có nước theo mùa. Loài ếch này có thể dài tới 42mm.

Nó còn là vật nuôi trong nhà, ở Úc loài này có thể được nuôi giữ nếu có giấy phép phù hợp.

Hình ảnh

Tham khảo

• Hero, J.-M., Clarke, J., Meyer, E., Robertson, P., Lemckert, F., Roberts, D. & Horner, P. 2004. Limnodynastes ornatus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Truy cập 22 tháng 7 năm 2007.
• Article Road: List of All Frog Breeds: Things You Can Do to Ensure Your Frog Has a Long, Happy and Healthy Life: Ornate Burrowing Frog
• Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, New South Wales: Amphibian Keeper's Licence: Species Lists

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