Chien C. Lee

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Male parental care is quite rare in nature, but a variety of frogs throughout the tropics show instances where the father transports the young on his back. In most cases this involves carrying either eggs or tadpoles, but in a few New Guinean species, such as this Sphenophryne cornuta, actual froglets ride in piggyback fashion. A member of the Microhylidae, these frogs have direct-development larvae which means that the tadpoles morph into tiny frogs before leaving the egg, an adaptation enabling them to negate the need for a pool of water. The froglets will hitch a ride on the back of their father for several days before being dispersed in the rainforest understory. Digul River, South Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea)

Copyright
© Chien C. Lee
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6121x4085 / 14.7MB
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Keywords
Amphibia, Anura, Asterophryinae, Indonesia, Irian Jaya, Microhylidae, New Guinea, Papua Selatan, South Papua, Southeast Asia, Sphenophryne, Western New Guinea, amphibian, animal, breeding, fauna, frog, narrow-mouthed frog, narrowmouth frog, narrowmouth toad, parental care, tropical, wildlife
Contained in galleries
Amphibians, New Guinea
Male parental care is quite rare in nature, but a variety of frogs throughout the tropics show instances where the father transports the young on his back. In most cases this involves carrying either eggs or tadpoles, but in a few New Guinean species, such as this Sphenophryne cornuta, actual froglets ride in piggyback fashion. A member of the Microhylidae, these frogs have direct-development larvae which means that the tadpoles morph into tiny frogs before leaving the egg, an adaptation enabling them to negate the need for a pool of water. The froglets will hitch a ride on the back of their father for several days before being dispersed in the rainforest understory. Digul River, South Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea)