One of the most beautiful and coolest frogs we can find in Shenzhen is the spotted narrow-mouthed frog (Kalophrynus interlineatus), a nearly 5-cm-long amphibian with a peculiar pointy snout and a characteristic triangular shape. It has a yellowish brown body fully decorated by beautiful dark stripes or spots on the back and a yellow line under each eye. One of the most remarkable characteristics of this particular frog is their ability to secrete a sticky toxic fluid through their skin. They the nuse their legs to spread the fluid as a defense mechanism against possible predators, as it makes them a bit disgusting to eat. Because of this, the spotted narrow-mouthed frog is known in some regions as the striped sticky frog. It can be found in forests and grasslands in countries like Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand in addition to South China, where they feed mainly on ants and other small insects. Their breeding season lasts from April to August, when they lay thousands of eggs in seasonal ponds during the rainy season. It’s extremely important to protect their habitats and to prevent abrupt changes in the topography of the places they inhabit in order to keep their life cycles stable, so that they can keep us company season after season for many years to come! |