Skip to main content

Archey’s Frog

Leiopelma archeyi
The Archey's Frog is a very primitive looking species, in that it looks very much like 150 million year old fossils. It also has some anatomical features that are rather uncommon, including tail wagging muscles (but no tail), no external eardrums, an extra back vertebrae, and no true vocal chords. Some females also have a special extra W-Chromosome, which determines sex.

There are four species within the Leiopelmatidae family, a group that diverged from all other frogs around 200 million years ago. This fact isn't surprising when you learn that they hail from New Zealand, a location whose eventual split off and isolation led it to evolve all sorts of creatures found no where else in the world (Tuatara and Kakapo anyone?)

The Archey's Frog (named for former Director of the Auckland Institute and Museum, Sir Gilbert Archey) is the smallest member of its family. The females can reach sizes of about 37mm, while males are a bit smaller at 31mm. They are terrestrial and nocturnal, and they even lay their eggs on land (in damp soil and leaf litter).

Because of their terrestrial lifestyle, the Archey's Frogs do not metamorphose from tadpole to adult. They actually hatch as tiny little froglets. The males will guard over their eggs, and then the froglets, even letting their offspring ride around on their backs.

Archey's Frogs are listed as Critically Endangered, and the population has been on the decline since at least 1996 (when a study specifically targeting decline was done). Climate change, habitat loss, and the introduction of predators and competing animals are all factors that have affected the species. Archey's Frogs are protected by the New Zealand Department of Conservation, and their population continues to be monitored.
IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : New Zealand
Size : Length up to 35mm
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Leiopelmatidae -- Genus : Leiopelma -- Species : L. archeyi
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Burmese Peacock

Polyplectron bicalcaratum Burmese Peacocks are also referred to as Grey Peacock-Pheasants, which is probably a more apt name, as they are not actually Peacocks... though they do belong to the same family. At any rate, they share some physical resemblances to Peacocks- most notably the eyes on their tail feathers. Burmese Peacocks are the national birds of Myanmar, which was called Burma until 1989, though some still refer to it as such. The birds live in several other Southeast Asian countries as well, and are divided into four subspecies. The species as a whole is listed as being of Least Concern , because they have a large range and population size. It unfortunately appears that they may be declining in number, but it is a slow descent that does not yet meet the vulnerability thresholds. The birds are listed under CITES Appendix II, because they can be kept in captivity and grabbing individuals from the wild could become problematic for the species. IUCN Stat...
3 comments
Read more

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...
59 comments
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more