Rhinodermatidae

Rhinoderma darwinii

The nose frogs ( Rhinoderma ) are a genus of the order Anura ( Anura ), which occurs in southern South America ( Chile and Argentina). They are placed in the Rhinodermatidae family.

Features

It is very small, only about three inches long frogs. What is striking is their pointed snout, which owes its name the animals.

The pupils are horizontal. The tongue is nearly triangular, entire or emarginate behind weak and the rear can be lifted freely. Palate teeth are missing. The eardrum is not or only weakly visible. The fingers and toes pointed end and have simple, bony phalanges. The fingers are joined together by weak, toes by significant webbed. These do not intervene between the metatarsals of the 4th and 5th toe. Praecoracoide coracoids and parallel to each other. Omosternum and sternum are cartilaginous. The transverse processes of the sacral vertebra are excessively broadened.

Dissemination

The distribution area of Rhinoderma rufum located in Chile between the towns of Curico and Arauco. Rhinoderma darwinii comes in Chile between the provinces of Concepción and Palena ago, in Argentina from Neuquén Province to Province of Río Negro.

Way of life

Occurrence

The nose frogs live in the leaf litter of mixing and Nothofagus temperate forests at altitudes of 1100 meters. The populations are very sensitive to changes in their habitat.

Reproduction

Nose frogs are characterized by a special brood care behavior. The females lay their eggs in the leaf litter, where they are fertilized by the males. Once moving, the first larvae in the eggs, the males take the fertilized eggs in their buccal cavity, where the tadpoles hatch. In Rhinoderma rufum dismisses the father after about 14 days into the water, where they develop further. In the case of the Darwin - nose frog Rhinoderma darwinii during larval development of a diet of the offspring is carried out by a viscous secretion that is formed in the throat-pouch of the male. The larvae remain until their transformation into small frogs in the mouth of the male.

Species

The genus includes two species:

• Rhinoderma darwinii Duméril & Bibron, 1841
• Rhinoderma rufum ( Philippi, 1902)

Endangering

The type Rhinoderma rufum has not been proven safe since about 1978 and possibly extinct. It is " critically endangered " by the IUCN ( critically endangered ) classified. The causes for the disappearance of the species are unknown. Infection by the chytrid fungus ( Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ), which are blamed for the decline in amphibian populations is unlikely. The holdings were decimated to southern South America before the introduction of the fungus. For in the 1970s prepared for museums copies no Chytridpilzinfektion the skin was observed.

The type Rhinoderma darwinii is by the IUCN as "vulnerable" ( vulnerable ) refers.