World's Smallest 'Fanged' Frogs Found in Indonesia--These Tiny Frogs Lay their Eggs on Leaves, and the Males Guard them
Published:01 Feb.2024 Source:Field Museum
In general, frogs' teeth aren't anything to write home about -- they look like pointy little pinpricks lining the upper jaw. But one group of stream-dwelling frogs in Southeast Asia has a strange adaptation: two bony "fangs" jutting out of their lower jawbone. They use these fangs to battle with each other over territory and mates, and sometimes even to hunt tough-shelled prey like giant centipedes and crabs. In a new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers have described a new species of fanged frog: the smallest one ever discovered. The scientific name for the new species is Limnonectes phyllofolia; phyllofolia means "leaf-nester."
While trekking through the jungle, researchers noticed something unexpected on the leaves of tree saplings and moss-covered boulders: nests of frog eggs. After repeatedly monitoring the nests though, the team started to find attending frogs sitting on leaves hugging their little nests. This close contact with their eggs allows the frog parents to coat the eggs with compounds that keep them moist and free from bacterial and fungal contamination. Closer examination of the amphibian parents revealed not only that they were tiny members of the fanged frog family, complete with barely-visible fangs, but that the frogs caring for the clutches of eggs were all male.
It's fascinating that on every subsequent expedition to Sulawesi, researchers are still discovering new and diverse reproductive modes. The findings also underscore the importance of conserving these very special tropical habitats. Most of the animals that live in places like Sulawesi are quite unique, and habitat destruction is an ever-looming conservation issue for preserving the hyper-diversity of species we find there. Learning about animals like these frogs that are found nowhere else on Earth helps make the case for protecting these valuable ecosystems.