Myobatrachus

Myobatrachus is a genus of frogs found in Western Australia. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, Myobatrachus gouldii, also known as the tortoise frog. It has a small head, short limbs, and a round body, up to 45 millimetres (1.8 in) long.[2]

Tortoise frog

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Myobatrachidae
Genus: Myobatrachus
Schlegel in J. E. Gray, 1841 or 1850
Species:
M. gouldii
Binomial name
Myobatrachus gouldii
(Gray, 1841)

The turtle frog is found in between Geraldton and Fitzgerald River in the Perth region, Western Australia.[3] This area is mainly semi-arid, so the frogs have adapted to suit this region. They have developed short muscular limbs to help them dig into the sand but, unlike most frogs, they dig forward, like a turtle. They feed on termites so the adaptation of the muscular limbs is useful when trying to penetrate a termite mound.

References

  1. "Myobatrachus gouldii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004. 2004.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. "Australian Frog Database: Myobatrachus gouldii". Frogs Australia Network. 23 February 2005.
  3. "FrogWatch :: Turtle Frog". Frogwatch.museum.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 25 July 2017.


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