Gardiner's Seychelles Frog
Encyclopedia
Gardiner's Frog is a small frog
of the Sooglossidae
family and endemic
to the Seychelles
.
.
s, Sciarid
larvae, ant
s and amphipods. It is restricted to the high and mid-altitude areas of Mahé
and Silhouette Island
s of the Seychelles
group. This is unusual among the Sooglossidae
, as most are restricted to the high latitudes, which have a stable climate due to constant mist. Although Gardiner's Frog is secure in the regions in which it is found, it is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List
because it is restricted to only five localities.
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...
of the Sooglossidae
Sooglossidae
The Seychelles Frogs are a family of frogs found on the Seychelles Islands and India. Until recently this family was believed to include the genera Nesomantis and Sooglossus, but following a major revision of amphibians in 2006 the genus Nesomantis was named a junior synonym of Sooglossus;...
family and endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
.
Physical description
Gardiner's Frog is one of the smallest frogs in the world, reaching a maximum length of 11 millimetres (0.4 in). Newly hatched frogs measure only 3 millimetres (0.1 in) in length. Adult males are only 8mm long. It is brown in color, and has a dark stripe running from its mouth to its legs.Ecology and behavior
Gardiner's Frog is a terrestrial frog, feeding on small invertebrates including miteMite
Mites, along with ticks, are small arthropods belonging to the subclass Acari and the class Arachnida. The scientific discipline devoted to the study of ticks and mites is called acarology.-Diversity and systematics:...
s, Sciarid
Fungus gnat
Fungus gnats are small, dark, short-lived flies, of the families Sciaridae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae, Bolitophilidae and Mycetophilidae , sometimes placed in the superfamily Mycetophiloidea, whose larvae feed on plant roots or fungi and aid in the decomposition of organic matter...
larvae, ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s and amphipods. It is restricted to the high and mid-altitude areas of Mahé
Mahé, Seychelles
Mahé is the largest island of the Seychelles, lying in the north east of the nation. The population of Mahé is 80,000. It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 90% of the country's total population...
and Silhouette Island
Silhouette Island
Silhouette Island lies 20 km northwest of Mahé in the Seychelles. It is the third largest island in the Seychelles. It has an area of 20 km² and has a population of 135, mostly workers on the island. The main settlement is La Passe, where there is a hotel for visitors to Silhouette...
s of the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
group. This is unusual among the Sooglossidae
Sooglossidae
The Seychelles Frogs are a family of frogs found on the Seychelles Islands and India. Until recently this family was believed to include the genera Nesomantis and Sooglossus, but following a major revision of amphibians in 2006 the genus Nesomantis was named a junior synonym of Sooglossus;...
, as most are restricted to the high latitudes, which have a stable climate due to constant mist. Although Gardiner's Frog is secure in the regions in which it is found, it is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
because it is restricted to only five localities.