Goliath frog

Goliath frog ( Conraua goliath ); Preparation / model in the American Museum of Natural History

The Goliath frog ( Conraua goliath ) is a occurring in West Africa Froschlurch. Obsolete synonyms of the type loud Rana goliath and goliath Gigantorana. The genus includes six species Conraua. For this genus own mono- generic family was erected with the names Conrauidae.

With a presumed maximum head-body length of about 40 centimeters - scientifically documented to date are 32 or 33 centimeters - is it at Conraua goliath the largest extant Froschlurch the world. Such specimens are well over three kilograms. Information from 60 up to 80 cm tall, refer the outstretched hind legs with a. In zoology, such a way of measuring for pets, however, is not common. The head-body length is measured in anurans from the tip of the snout to vent.

Features

Goliath frogs have a relatively pointed snout and extremely strong, long hind legs. The thigh reach the thickness of a human wrist in adult animals. The webbing between the toes extend to the toes. The pupils of the eyes are horizontal; the outer ear drums are with a half inch diameter comparatively very small. About this runs per a fold of skin along the back of the head. While the skin on the upper side is slightly wrinkled and granulated and has an inconspicuous, green - brownish color, the belly and the insides of the limbs are smooth and often yellow- orange colored.

Dissemination

The range of this type includes the West African countries of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea and extends from the lower reaches of the Sanaga River in the north to the lower Benito River Valley in the south. In between takes, this area a width of about 150 to 180 kilometers along the Atlantic coast. This is therefore a very small distribution area, which is not as well populated area-wide and uniform, but only disjoint.

Habitat, lifestyle

As Habitat serve larger, fast-flowing rivers in the middle of the tropical rainforest. Goliath frogs live mostly in and around the waters ( aquatil ) and need clean, oxygen-rich water and a sandy seabed. The tadpoles are ( warmingii Leiothylax; Syn: Dicraea warmingii warmingii; family Podostemaceae ) in the first few weeks on a certain water plant instructed as a food source that grows on rock below waterfalls and the river. Their larval phase lasts about 85 to 95 days to metamorphosis. Previously they have developed from spawn clump of several hundred eggs each, having taken the three adult Goliath frogs in the months of July and August to water plants at the bottom of the river.

The Goliath frog is sometimes called " poor knight " characterized as, on the other hand are huge leaps of up to three (five) meters to be monitored. However, the animal tired doing well after a few sentences. In case of danger, the frog is trying to dive and hide in deep river holes or he turns against the attacker dead to his diet of one living animal food, which it can overwhelm the size of her and devour a whole. This may be in addition to insects, for example, smaller reptiles and young waterfowl.

Endangering

The Goliath frog is from the IUCN recently not only as "vulnerable " (endangered ), but as "endangered " ( endangered ) classified. Causes are habitat destruction and pollution (especially the conversion of forest to agricultural land ) as well as hunting and fishing by humans. Goliath frogs are considered a delicacy and are an important food source for many people in the area. They, too, were caught earlier in large numbers for zoos and the pet trade, and it was found that the animals were difficult and inappropriate for the species to maintain and therefore usually not propagated in captivity. In the terrarium, they often encountered the snout bloody, when they jumped against the glass panes.

The small and fragmented natural range makes the stenöken animals particularly susceptible to external influences and negative environmental changes. The government of Cameroon is said to have limited the annual export from Goliath frogs, especially to U.S. zoos to 300 copies.

Taxonomy and systematics

Some charts provide this taxon to the family Petropedetidae, others in a subfamily Petropedetinae within the Real frogs ( Ranidae ).

Web Links (some sources)

• Style portrait at Amphibiaweb.org ( Engl; partly source; with photo)
• IUCN Redlist: Entry to Conraua goliath ( Engl, among other things with greater distribution map )
• Goliath Frog wmv movie ( Engl; BBC )
• Goliath Frog images in Google Images (without warranty of any kind - there are also misassigned including images! )
• American Museum of Natural History: Amphibian Species of the World ( Engl )

• True frogs