Infrequent Frogs

Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ptychadenidae

by Inspector Barry Mins on November 1, 2022

Hey kids, welcome back to our series on the mysteries of created kinds.

This week, we move from South America to Sub-Saharan Africa—but we’re still looking for frogs. In this instance, habitats differ wildly between species.

Two by Tuesday

The members of this kind vary in habitat, size, and color. Females tend to be bulkier than males.1 They have significantly varied calls, with great differences in frequency.2 Insects make up the majority of the diet, but the preferred type of insects changes by species.3 Not much else is available on this kind, regrettably.

Has anyone figured it out yet? This week’s kind is the Ptychadenidae—the smooth-horned frog kind. Stay tuned for next week when we discuss one of the most popular and well-loved kinds on the planet.

Clue

Your clue for the week is:

You are undoubtedly familiar with this kind. You may even have ridden or owned one.

Ask a Question

Have you ever had a question about created kinds but didn’t know who to ask? Have you ever wanted to learn more about your favorite kind? Well, now you can! You can ask me, Inspector Barry Mins, a question! Have your parents help you fill out this form, and you might get your question answered in my column! If you have any questions about created kinds, feel free to send them my way!

Footnotes

  1. M.J. Largen. Two species of Ptychadena Boulenger 1917 (Amphibia Anura Ranidae) from Ethiopia, with observations on other members of the genus recorded from this country and a tentative key for their identification. Tropical Zoology, 10 no. 2 (1997), 223-246.
  2. N.I. Passmore. Mating calls and other vocalizations of five species of Ptychadena (Anura: Ranidae). South African Journal of Science, 73 (1977), 212-214.
  3. B. Tohe, N. G. Kouame, N. E. Assemian, and G. Gourene. Diet of two sympatric rocket frogs (Amphibia, Anura, Ptychadenidae: Ptychadena) in the disturbed parts of a west African rainforest. International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering & Technology. 2, no. 10 (2015), 444-459.