Darwin's frog
Darwin’s frog (Rhinoderma darwinii), also called the Southern Darwin's frog, is a species of Chilean/Argentinian frog of the family Rhinodermatidae. It was discovered by Charles Darwin during his voyage on HMS Beagle. on a trip to Chile. In 1841, French zoologist André Marie Constant Duméril and his assistant Gabriel Bibron described and named Darwin's frog. The diet of R. darwinii consists mostly of herbivore invertebrates. R. darwinii is currently classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Darwin's frog | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Family: | Rhinodermatidae |
Genus: | Rhinoderma |
Species: | R. darwinii |
Binomial name | |
Rhinoderma darwinii | |
Range in Chile in red (also occurs in adjacent southwestern Argentina) |
Darwin’s frog is most known for its unique method of brooding. The male will facilitate development of its tadpoles inside its vocal sac. This male brooding makes Darwin’s frog distinct from other frog species (as the only other frog that has this behavior is the R. rufum, which may be extinct).