Rhombophryne vaventy, or the huge rhombus frog, has been discovered in Madagascar. The new species is part of a larger group called narrow-mouthed frogs, whose ancestors arrived in Madagascar millions of years ago on rafts of vegetation or debris. Finding themselves on a huge but isolated island with lots of available niche space, evolution took over, resulting in a radiation of species adapted to a wide variety of habitats, from treetops to burrows underground. While only two specimens have ever been collected, if it is anything like its brethren, the frog lays its eggs in seeps of water in burrows, which then hatch into non-feeding tadpoles that are nourished only by their yolk and are guarded by at least one parent.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 11:20:47 +0000
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