In their own way, charming tailless amphibians have chosen for life almost all the continents of the planet. Frogs are not found only in Antarctica, the Arctic, on the desert expanses of the Sahara and some islands remote from the mainland in the ocean. In total, there are about 500 species of frogs on the planet, and all of them vary in lifestyle and size. We already have an article about the largest frogs. And now we will get to know better the smallest amphibians, and find out what is the smallest frog in the world.
Terrible Leaf Lizard / Phyllobates terribilis
The smallest of the poisonous frogs, the terrible leaf-climber lives in forests in southwestern Colombia. This is one of the most poisonous creatures on the planet whose glands contain poison batrachotoxin. By the way, about the most poisonous plants of the planet on thebiggest.ru there is an interesting article.
They grow from 2 to 4 cm, and, interestingly, the females and males are of the same size, which is not typical for the frog family. For protection, they have poison, because they do not accept the colors of the environment, but, on the contrary, are always bright and catchy.
Each male controls his territory, and does not allow strangers into it. Despite the danger, these frogs are often kept in home terrariums.
Rough paddock / Theloderma asperum
Before considering tiny representatives of wildlife, we will talk about small terrarium or aquarium frogs.
The copepod is rough, the so-called small terrarium frog, which grows no more than 4 cm, and weighs only 20-30 g. Due to the small size and low weight in the aquarium, you can place any plants, as they will not break them.
Pets are unpretentious, eat any food of different sizes. In wildlife, they live near small bodies of water with stagnant water, sometimes occupying empty hollows. So at home, the water in the aquarium is not recommended to be changed too often.
Noblella / Noblella pygmaea
In the southern part of Peru, high in the Andes, a joint German-American expedition discovered an amazing view of frogs, whose dimensions do not exceed 13 mm.
It’s quite difficult to see a small amphibian that easily disguises itself as foliage of tropical forests. Zoologists gave the name to the new species of Noblel, and this is one of the smallest frogs that live on our planet.
Nonbeli live their whole lives in one place, and do not migrate even during the mating season. Females lay only two eggs, and takes care of them until the tadpoles hatch from the eggs.
Cuban Whistler / Eleutherodactylus limbatus
A tiny species lives only in Cuba. Females do not grow more than 11.8 mm, and males 11.7 mm in length. He prefers to settle in humid forests, hiding in fallen leaves or under objects lying on the ground.
It leads a daily life, and ants and small bugs are present in the diet. Most often moves along the surface of the earth with slow walking, but can also jump.
Human economic activity reduces the habitat of the Cuban whistle, which is why the species is on the verge of extinction.
More recently, Thebiggest.ru published an article about beautiful animals that are threatened with extinction. We strongly recommend looking at them.
Little inhabitants of Madagascar.
In 2019, German zoologists from the renowned Ludwig-Maximilian University discovered several species of new frogs on the island of Madagascar.
Among the new species were species whose sizes do not exceed a grain of rice. For example, Mini mum grows from 8 to 11 mm. The second type of Mini ature reaches 14 mm. Of the new species, frogs reaching 16 mm, called the Mini scule.
These small residents are still waiting for their scientific species names, but for now, scientists are observing their lifestyle, habits, and diet. In total, 5 new species were discovered on the island, including Anodonthyla eximia and Rhombophryne proportionalis, which already belong to the known species of amphibians.
Rhombophryne proportionalis
One of the Madagascar new species is worth telling separately. The miniature frog got its name because of the proportionality of its body.
In fact, this is a miniature copy of the usual large frogs, but with less bulging eyes. This species of inhabitants of moist forests grows no more than 12 mm.
Found a view in the north of the island. After molecular genetic research, scientists found that the species evolved towards a decrease in size, while maintaining the proportions of its large relatives.
By the way, Madagascar is one of the largest islands of our planet.
Paedophryne amauensis
The smallest vertebrate on our planet lives in Papua New Guinea, hiding from prying eyes in the moist, leafy litter of rainforests.
The habitat has affected the color. The overall color is brown with reddish-brown and white-bluish spots throughout the body. Adults do not exceed 7-8 mm in length. The largest toad, reaching a length of 90 cm, is simply a giant compared to Paedophryne amauensis.
Small representatives of the animal world got their species name at the place of discovery, as they were found at the Amau village in one of the central provinces of the South Asian country.
Finally
Our review of the smallest frog representatives from thebiggest.ru has come to an end. In the mythology of many peoples of the world, frogs are associated with troubles, although in Japan they symbolize happiness, and in China they bring good luck and prosperity. In Russian fairy tales, there is the character “princess frog”, and in national folklore proverbs, sayings and riddles about the frog are very common.
Posted by Valery Skiba