Darwin's frog

Rhinoderma darwinii · Darwin's frog is a small frog found in Chile and Argentina, where it lives in forests, bogs and near slow-moving streams.

Also called Southern Darwin's frog.

Darwin's frog
Photo: Parque Tepuhueico, CC BY-SA 4.0
Darwin's frog
Photo: Nicolas Olejnik, CC BY 4.0
Darwin's frog
Photo: Edu Vergara, CC BY 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAmphibia
OrderAnura
FamilyRhinodermatidae
GenusRhinoderma
SpeciesRhinoderma darwinii

Where it lives

Temperate beech forests of Chile and adjacent Argentina.

Fun facts

  • Male Darwin's frogs raise their tadpoles inside their own vocal sac, a very unusual way of brooding.
  • Once the eggs hatch, the tadpoles feed on their egg yolks and on secretions from the wall of dad's vocal sac until they become frogs.
  • When the babies are ready, the tiny frogs hop out of the father's mouth and head off on their own.
  • Each frog's underside is black with large white blotches in a pattern that is unique to that individual.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).