Darwin’s Frog, Features, Habitat, Diet, Threats, Latest News

Q: Why is it called Darwin's frog?

Darwin's frogs were named after the father of evolution, who discovered them in 1834 in Chile during his voyage around the world on the ship HMS Beagle.

Q: What is a Darwin's frog mouth brooding?

Mouth-brooding frogs carry their litters, or broods, of young in their mouths, particularly in the males' vocal sacs.

Table of Contents☰

Darwin’s Frog Latest News

Recently, Chile has launched a new effort to save the endangered Darwin’s frog.

About Darwin’s Frog

Darwin’s frog (Rhinoderma darwinii ), also called the southern Darwin’s frog.
Features of Darwin’s Frog
- It is unique among amphibians for its brooding habits.
- It is a tiny amphibian with leaf-like skin whose males carry tadpoles within pouches in their mouths.
- It is a diurnal creature, meaning it sleeps at night and is mostly active during daytime.
- When threatened by predators, the frog plays dead. It lays very still on the forest floor or floating in a stream.
- It measures 3 cm (1.18 inches), was discovered in Chile’s southern Chiloe islands by Charles Darwin during his 1834 trip around the world.

Distribution: It is a rhinodermatid frog native to the forest streams of Chile and Argentina.
Habitat: It is found in a variety of vegetation types and it appears that a mixture of grassland, mossy areas, coarse woody debris, and young trees and bushes in a mature native forest provides its optimum habitat requirements.
Diet: Darwin’s frog feeds on insects and other arthropods.
It actually comprises two: the endangered Rhinoderma darwinii (Southern Darwin’s frog) and the Rhinoderma rufum (Northern Darwin’s frog), which is categorized as “critically endangered” and has already virtually disappeared.
Threats: Forest fires, climate change, invasive species and urbanization have hurt the humid forests of southern Chile and Argentina where Darwin’s frog typically lives.