Bornean Flat-headed Frog
Encyclopedia
The Bornean Flat-headed Frog (Barbourula kalimantanensis) is a species of toad
in the Bombinatoridae
family. It is the second frog
known to have no lung
s.
The frog, no more than 70 mm (2.8 in) long, lives in cold, clear, and fast rivers in remote areas of the rainforests of Kalimantan
, the Indonesia
n part of the island of Borneo
. Its natural habitat
s are river
s in tropical moist lowland forest
s. It is threatened by habitat loss from severe degradation of the river habitats by increased turbity and toxic metals used in mining and other unfortunate consequences of development on the island.
Djoko Iskandar
, an Indonesian zoologist, first described the Bornean Flat-headed Frog. However, he did not know the frog was lungless until Bickford et al. cut eight of the specimens open in the lab. The frog breathes entirely through its skin, and its internal organs (the stomach, spleen and the liver) take up the space which normally would be filled by the lungs. By retaining the lunglessness of their tadpole
stage, the frogs are much flatter than typical frogs, which might help absorb oxygen and avoid being swept away in fast streams.
Toad
A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...
in the Bombinatoridae
Bombinatoridae
Bombinatoridae are often referred to as Fire-bellied toads because of their brightly colored ventral sides, which show that they are highly toxic to humans. This family includes two genera, Barbourula and Bombina, both of which have flattened bodies.Bombina are warty, aquatic toads about in...
family. It is the second frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
known to have no lung
Lung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
s.
The frog, no more than 70 mm (2.8 in) long, lives in cold, clear, and fast rivers in remote areas of the rainforests of Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
, the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n part of the island of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s in tropical moist lowland forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s. It is threatened by habitat loss from severe degradation of the river habitats by increased turbity and toxic metals used in mining and other unfortunate consequences of development on the island.
Djoko Iskandar
Djoko Iskandar
Djoko T. Iskandar is an Indonesian zoologist. He is a professor of biosystematics and ecology at Institut Teknologi Bandung, a university located in Bandung, Indonesia....
, an Indonesian zoologist, first described the Bornean Flat-headed Frog. However, he did not know the frog was lungless until Bickford et al. cut eight of the specimens open in the lab. The frog breathes entirely through its skin, and its internal organs (the stomach, spleen and the liver) take up the space which normally would be filled by the lungs. By retaining the lunglessness of their tadpole
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
stage, the frogs are much flatter than typical frogs, which might help absorb oxygen and avoid being swept away in fast streams.
External links
- Barbourula kalimantanensis, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- CBC: Gasp! Scientists find first lungless frog
- http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/1111_1111/1111/7442.jpeg