Fun Sehuencas Water Frog Facts For Kids
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The Sehuencas water frog is a water frog from Bolivia and is a part of 63 known species of water frogs, unique aquatic frogs, and semi-aquatic frogs. The members of the genus Telmatobius are among the focal group of species for the Global Wildlife Conservation.
To bring awareness to water frogs and the unique survival challenges the species are known to face, the Global Wildlife Conservation along with partners like Alcide d’Orbigny and the Natural History Museum celebrate World Water Frog Day on April 1.
There was only one male Sehuencas water frog specimen left called Romeo living in Cochabamba city in Bolivia.
The Sehuencas water frog was earlier thought to be lost and the search for a new population was almost abandoned. Hope was almost over for the future.
The search for a female by scientists was still going on to develop a captive breeding program but to no avail.
However, hope was restored when a team of scientists namely Camacho Badani, a veterinarian Ricardo Zurita Urgarte, Sophia Barrón Lavayen, the head of conservation breeding at the K’ayra Center, and researcher Stephane Knoll went on an expedition and found five specimens, including two females and three males.
However, all five found in the cloud forest of Bolivia were treated for chytridiomycosis, an amphibian disease caused by the chytrid fungus.
This disease is said to have cause the decline in the population of this species around the world and is one of the main causes why this animal is facing extinction.
There is a similar story for successfully saving the endangered aquatic frog species from the same genus called Titicaca water frog. These amphibians are endemic to Bolivia and Peru. This species was also on the road to extinction but making them breed in a captive breeding program has helped restore their populations.
For more relatable content, check out these pool frog facts and tree frog fun facts.
Sehuencas Water Frog Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Sehuencas water frog?
The Sehuencas water frog (Telmatobius yuracare) is a species of frog endemic to Bolivia.
What class of animal does a Sehuencas water frog belong to?
The Bolivian Sehuencas water frog falls under the class of Amphibia in the kingdom of Animalia.
How many Sehuencas water frogs are there in the world?
As only one species was found and kept captive in Cochabamba city of Bolivia for the last decade or so, the population is quite limited. The species was said to be soon going through an extinction event, however, a search soon after found two females and three more males.
After the search, the population is now six individuals, and hope is restored. Moreover, to save the species, they are only allowed to breed in a captive breeding program.
Where does a Sehuencas water frog live?
The Sehuencas water frog is endemic to Bolivia. They were abundantly found in the Bolivian cloud forest regions but soon disappeared.
The last living male species called Romeo is currently living in the K’ayra Center of the Museo de Historia Natural Alcide d’Orbigny in Bolivian Cochabamba City.
Five frogs were found in a stream in the cloud forest in an expedition to save the species.
What is a Sehuencas water frog's habitat?
Sehuencas water frogs have not been seen in their natural habitat for 10 years now. Only one male called Romeo was found and kept in the center of the museum. Sehuencas water frogs were usually found in their natural habitat of subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, and freshwater marshes.
Who do Sehuencas water frogs live with?
Romeo, the last male, was considered the loneliest frog in the world and the only remaining Sehuencas water frog. However, recent expeditions have brought in more frogs of this species. They probably live in pairs to mate.
How long does a Sehuencas water frog live?
A Sehuencas water frog lives to an age of 15 years.
How do they reproduce?
Their breeding techniques are not well studied, however the museum is now carefully studying their breeding patterns. Breeding in the wild is not possible currently, simply due to the presence of the diseases that led to this condition of the species. A controlled environment was prepared for Romeo and Juliet to mate.
Other species like the Titicaca water frogs are known for breeding throughout the whole year in coastal waters where they lay their eggs. Females are known to lay 80-500 eggs at a time. Males guard the nesting site until the eggs hatch and tadpoles emerge. This process takes one to two weeks. Maturity is reached in about three years.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of the Sehuencas water frog is categorized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. They are plagued by habitat loss and the disease caused by the chytrid fungus.
Researchers believe that population, climate change, fungus, and habitat loss have declined the population of a lot of water frog species in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Sehuencas Water Frog Fun Facts
What do Sehuencas water frogs look like?
There is not much information on this species. The eyes of the frogs are spotted and the body is usually grayish/brownish in color.
*Please note that this is an image of a Titicaca water frog, this species is part of the same genus as the Sehuencas water frog. If you have an image of a Sehuencas water frog, please let us know at hello@kidadl.com.
How cute are they?
They are not considered cute.
How do they communicate?
Frogs communicate vocally, visually, or chemically.
How big is a Sehuencas water frog?
The size of these frogs is not known as research is incomplete. Sehuencas frogs are known to be quite a bit smaller than Titicaca water frogs, one of the biggest in the genus.
The largest frog species in the world, the goliath frog, is 12.5 in (31.75 cm) long.
How fast can a Sehuencas water frog move?
The speed is not known.
How much does a Sehuencas water frog weigh?
The weight of this species is not known.
What are the male and female names of the species?
Males and females of this species are not given different names.
What would you call a baby Sehuencas water frog?
Babies of this species are called Sehuencas Water frog tadpoles and later froglets.
What do they eat?
The diet of Sehunecas water frogs is not known.
Titicaca water frogs of the same genus, a water frog species, are known to feed on amphipods and snails. They also feed on insects and tadpoles and sometimes show cannibalism by feeding on the smaller ones in their wild habitat.
They feed on worms, copepods, water fleas, and aquatic insect larvae in the captive habitat.
Are they poisonous?
There is no information to determine if the species is poisonous.
Would they make a good pet?
These frogs are not considered pets. Apart from the critically endangered status, there are only a few left in the world and need to be protected.
Did you know...
There are six Sehuencas water frogs found currently.
Frogs need water to keep their skin moist as this helps them breathe through their skin. Dried out skin will prevent them from getting oxygen. Frogs use their skin to absorb oxygen when swimming underwater, but if the water does not have enough oxygen, the frogs will drown.
Is the Sehuencas water frog endangered?
The IUCN Red List has kept the conservation status as Critically Endangered for the Sehuencas water frog.
Romeo was the last known water frog of this species and was deemed to be the loneliest frog.
He was slowly going to become extinct and there was nothing that could be done to stop it. However, an expedition to the Bolivian Cloud Forest in January 2019, Global Wildlife Conservation and the Alcide d’Orbigny Natural History Museum rediscovered the Sehuencas water frog in the wild.
The expedition was carried out by the Chief of Herpetology of Museo de Historia Natural Alcide d’Orbigny, Teresa Camacho Badani and her team.
This expedition by the Global Wildlife Conservation and the Museo de Historia Natural Alcide d’Orbigny in the Bolivian Cloud Forest started a movement and the species became the founders for the conservation breeding program at the K’ayra Center for Research and Conservation of Threatened Amphibians of the Museo de Historia Natural Alcide d’Orbigny.
The museum and all other partners will now work towards saving this species along with other amphibians for the deadly infectious disease, chytridiomycosis, is considered to be responsible for the decline and possible extinction of the species.
How did Sehuencas water frogs get their name?
The reason for naming the aquatic frog, Sehuencas water frog, is not known.
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 red-eyed tree frog facts and leopard frog interesting facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Sehuencas water frog coloring pages.
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