Fun Mozambique Rain Frog Facts For Kids

The Mozambique Rain Frog, scientific name Breviceps mossambicus, is also known as the flat-faced frog, and belongs to the genus Breviceps, and the order Anura. This grumpy-looking small-sized frog is native to Southern Africa and is found in the regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and from Mozambique to South Africa. The metamorphism process of this frog does not require a tadpole stage as they do not need a water body to breed in.

Though Mozambique rain frogs are available in a vast population that is distributed all across South Africa, due to vast habitat degradation, the conservation status of this species is in danger. This species of frog prefers open woodland in moist regions.

If you liked these true facts about the Mozambique rain frog, then you'll surely like these facts about pool frog and tree frog too!

What type of animal is a Mozambique rain frog?

The Mozambique rain frog (Breviceps mossambicus) is a species of frog that belongs to the family of Brevicipitidae order Anura. These frogs are called rain frogs mainly because they are active after rainfall, and leave their burrows for mating and hunting post rainy season.

What class of animal does a Mozambique rain frog belong to?

The Mozambique rain frog belongs to the class of Amphibians order Anura, and are cold-blooded, four-limbed vertebrates. Amphibians mostly inhabit different habitats such as arboreal (living in trees), fresh aquatic ecosystem, terrestrial, and subterranean. Amphibians are creatures that have the ability to breathe both on land and water

How many Mozambique rain frog are there in the world?

An accurate number of Mozambique rain frogs is impossible to pinpoint as they have been domesticated all around the world, and their small size makes it difficult to get their total population count from their natural habitat.

Where does a Mozambique rain frog live?

The Mozambique rain frog (Breviceps mossambicus) has an extensive population distribution in central and southern Africa. It also has an extensive distribution from north Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south of the Republic of South Africa.

The natural habitats of the flat-faced frog are the bushy regions, savannah, and open woodland.

What is a Mozambique rain frog's habitat?

The Mozambique rain frog (Breviceps mossambicus) is found above sea level beneath the slopes of mountains and in the lowlands. The flat-faced frog is a malleable species and can survive with habitat mortification, which helps them to survive in conditions that are not as favorable as their natural habitat.

Who do Mozambique rain frog live with?

A flat-faced frog is a group of terrestrial frogs, and live their lives in solitary except during the breeding season when they come together for mating.

How long does a Mozambique rain frog live?

The average lifespan of the Mozambique rain frog (Breviceps mossambicus) is 4-15 years, but with proper diet and care in captivity, these species can live a longer life.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the flat-faced frog takes place in spring after soaking rains, as these creatures sexually mature at the age of three years old. A male grasps a female with his front legs as part of the mating process, and at the same time, the male fertilizes the eggs as they are released from the female's body in a chamber below the soil surface. Females lay a clutch of 20-25 eggs in their nest and they remain near the nest to protect them. It takes six to eight weeks for the eggs to hatch.

What is their conservation status?

As per the IUCN Red List, the Mozambique rain frog is listed as a species of least concern, because of its vast population distribution across Africa.

What do Mozambique rain frog look like?

The Mozambique rain frog is a small-sized well-built amphibian, growing up to 2-3 in (5-7.6 cm) in length with females being larger than males.  Their dorsal surface is greyish-brown covered with darker color patches. A dark stripe is visible from the eye and the front leg, passing over the large external oval shape membrane made up of non-glandular skin. The belly of these frogs is white with dark patches and the throat is brown in color. These frogs have unwebbed inverted feet and the outer two toes are smaller than the others. This species is easily confused with the kreffti warty frog, which is also known as the Callulina graffiti which also belongs to the family of Brevicipitidae. Another frog that is identical in appearance is the Highland rain frog (Breviceps fichus) and the only factor that differentiates these frogs is their calls.

How cute are they?

These frogs have a unique look to them thanks to their grumpy-looking flat face and inverted legs which are identical to that of the bulldog breed.

How do they communicate?

Mozambique rain frog recognizes its environment with the help of visual, tactile, auditory call, and chemical senses. Male frogs are seen making a loud high pitched chirping call during the breeding seasons to attract females. These species use these high-pitched calls to indicate and forewarn the predators.

How big is a Mozambique rain frog?

The Mozambique rain frog can grow up to 2-3 in (5-7.6 cm) in total length and these species are considered as one of the smallest toads found in Africa. The size of these frogs would be the same as a glass frog and they are smaller quite smaller than a horned frog. These species contribute towards insect population control in spite of being so small in size.

How fast can a Mozambique rain frog jump?

Unfortunately, the accurate speed of the Mozambique rain frog has not yet been recorded. The rain frog is not much of a jumper, it is more of a burrower species and spends its time hiding under the burrows.

How much does a Mozambique rain frog weigh?

Unfortunately, no data is available about the weight of the Mozambique rain frog. These species are relatively smaller and circular in size.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Just like in the case of Pacman frogs No specific name has been given to either sex of the Mozambique rain frogs.

What would you call a baby Mozambique rain frog?

A baby Mozambique frog is called a froglet, the embryos take six to eight weeks to develop into young froglets and there is no tadpole stage as they do not require any water bodies to breed in.

What do they eat?

The feeding habit of these rain frogs makes them carnivorous, they prey on small invertebrates and white termites. These frogs have been seen consuming large prey sometimes even the size of themselves.

Are they dangerous?

No, unlike the poison frog which is extremely dangerous, the Mozambique rain frog is not dangerous at all. These frogs are docile in nature and spend most of their time in burrows, unlike other species of frogs these frogs do not have any toxic chemicals which can be harmful to others.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, these rain frogs are a better choice for pets, because of their small size, docile nature, comical grumpy-looking flat face, and inverted toes making them walk identically like a bulldog.

Did you know...

Rain frog is a cold-blooded animal that lacks covering to keep its body warm. Their body temperatures fall and rise with respect to the surrounding temperature. So they hibernate during the winter season.

Rain frog has excellent night vision and is very sensitive to movement. The bulging eyes of this frog allow it to see partly behind, in front, and sides.

Few frog species have the ability to change their colors or camouflage with respect to temperature, light, surroundings, humidity, and mood.

Rain frogs come together in large groups during the breeding season to search for food.

Rain frogs drink water through the drinking patch, which is located on the underside of the belly and thighs allowing them to absorb water through their skin.

Is Mozambique rain frog endemic?

The Mozambique rain frog, also known as the flat-faced frog, is endemic to Central and southern Africa. It has an extensive distribution from north Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south of the Republic of South Africa.

What is the loudest frog in the world?

Coqui frogs are the loudest frogs in the world and are native to Puerto Rico. These frogs chirp during the night at up to 90 decibels, which is similar to the noise level of a lawnmower from about a foot and a half away. These frogs are also considered the noisiest among all amphibians.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these greater siren facts and golden toad facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Mozambique rain frog coloring pages.