The Smouldering Smoky Jungle Frog
The smoky jungle frog (Leptodactylus pentadactylus), or huwa in the native Brazilian Kwaza language, is a species of frog found throughout the Amazon rainforest, and as far north as the cloud forests of Costa Rica. They are found primarily in tropical rainforests, as well as marshes, artificial ponds, and near rivers. Despite their penchant for moisture, they spend most of their time hiding among leaf litter on the forest floor.
The huwa frog's shape and coloration allows them to blend seamlessly into the leaf litter of their natural habitat. Adults are mottled brown, grey, black, red, and orange, mimicking the coloration of fallen leaves, while the underside is white. Adults also have two ridges extending down either side of the back which imitates the shape of a discarded leaf. Males are slightly larger than females, with a maximum length of 18.0 cm (7.1 in) compared to 17.6 cm (6.9 in); adults can weigh anywhere from 60-70 grams (0.15 lbs).
L. pentacactylus is active mainly at night, when they emerge to feed on insects, small birds, frogs, snakes, lizards and mammals such as bats and rodents. Their camouflage allows them to blend in with the leaf litter and wait to ambush passing prey. They can also effectively hide from predators such as larger snakes, caimans, and coatis. In addition to their invisibility, adults also secrete a mild toxin from their skin which can irritate the eyes and cause an itchy rash.
Outside the breeding season, smoky jungle frogs are largely solitary. Males defend their territories by loudly calling throughout the night; from May to November these calls also serve to attract females. After mating, females dig a shallow depression in the ground and construct a nest from foam made of discarded sperm, water, and air. Up to 1,000 eggs are deposited in the nest. Eggs hatch only 2-3 days after being laid, and the frequent rains wash the tadpoles into a near by pond or slow-moving stream. The tadpoles feed voraciously on vegetation, algae, and insects, and within four weeks metamorphose into adults. Once fully grown, individuals can live up to 15 years in the wild.
Conservation status: Smoky jungle frogs are considered Least Concern by the IUCN. Their primary threat is habitat loss.
Photos
Marco Aurelio de Sena
Geoff Gallice
David Torres
