Gardiner's Seychelles frog

Gardiner's frog (Sechellophryne gardineri) is a small frog of the family Sooglossidae and endemic to the Seychelles.

Gardiner's frog
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Sooglossidae
Genus: Sechellophryne
Species:
S. gardineri
Binomial name
Sechellophryne gardineri
(Boulenger, 1911)

Description

Gardiner's frog is one of the smallest frogs in the world, reaching a maximum length of 11 millimeters (0.4 in). Exactly, it is the third smallest frog in the world. Newly hatched frogs measure only 3 millimeters (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.

This frog is notable for its ability to hear despite the absence of a middle ear cavity. Research has shown that the species is able to use its mouth cavity to amplify sound and transmit it to the inner ear.[2]

A relative comparison of the world's smallest frogs

Ecology and behavior

Gardiner's frog is a terrestrial frog, feeding on small invertebrates including mites, sciarid larvae, ants, and amphipods. It is restricted to the high- and mid-altitude areas of Mahé and Silhouette Islands of the Seychelles group. This is unusual among the Sooglossidae, as most are restricted to the high altitudes, which have a stable climate due to constant mist.[3] Eggs are laid in small clumps on moist ground and hatch as fully formed small adult frogs.[3] Although Gardiner's frog is secure in the regions in which it is found, it is classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List because it is restricted to only five localities.

Taxonomy

Genetic analysis indicates that the two populations of this species are distinct from each other and are possibly even separate species. It has thus been proposed that both populations be considered evolutionary significant units for conservation purposes.[4]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Sechellophryne gardineri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T20380A15181011. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T20380A15181011.en.
  2. Renaud Boistel et al., How minute sooglossid frogs hear without a middle ear, Advance Online Publication PNAS Early Edition 2 September 2013.
  3. "Gardiner's tree frog - Sooglossus gardener". ARKive. Archived from the original on 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  4. Groombridge, Jim J.; Taylor, Michelle L.; Bradfield, Kay S.; Maddock, Simon T.; Bunbury, Nancy; Chong-Seng, Lindsay; Griffiths, Richard A.; Labisko, Jim (2019). "Endemic, endangered and evolutionarily significant: cryptic lineages in Seychelles' frogs (Anura: Sooglossidae)" (PDF). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 126 (3): 417–435. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/bly183. hdl:2436/622078.


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