Mountain chicken frog

About Mountain chicken frog: 

• The mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax) is one of the largest frogs in the world and can weigh over 40 times as much as a European common frog, reaching up to 1kg in size.
• It was endemic to seven Caribbean islands, including Montserrat and Dominica
• The predator eats a variety of animals, including insects, snakes, small mammals, and even other frogs. 
• Officially named the Giant Ditch frog, the species is commonly known as the mountain chicken.
• Appearance: Its reddish brown and cream colour provides effective camouflage against the leaf litter of the forest floor.
• Its large, drumstick legs hold enough power to jump high enough to clear a standing adult human
• Threats: Combinations of habitat destruction, invasive species and hunting have contributed to its decline.
• It was majorly affected by the introduction of the deadly fungal disease, Chytridiomycosis.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Critically Endangered

What is Chytridiomycosis?

• It is an infectious disease that affects amphibians, especially frogs worldwide.
• It is caused by either of two species of amphibian chytrid fungus.
• They are called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. 
• It is an emerging disease that is significantly impacting amphibian populations across the globe.
• The disease has caused the decline or complete extinction of over 200 species of frogs and other amphibians. 

Q1) What are Amphibians?

Amphibians are a class of vertebrate animals known for their unique life cycle, which typically involves an aquatic larval stage and a terrestrial adult stage.

Source: Dominica’s mountain chicken frog vanishes from island in ‘fastest extinction ever recorded’