Tomato frog

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Tomato frog
Tomato Frog, D. antongilii
Tomato Frog, D. antongilii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Dyscophus
Grandidier, 1872
Species

See text.

The Tomato frog is any one of the three species of genus Dyscophus ( family Microhylidae): D. antongilii, D. insularis, D. guineti. The common name comes from the frog's bright red color. When threatened, the tomato frog inflates its body. If the predator grabs the tomato frog in its mouth, the frogs skin secretes a thick, whitish substance from its skin that gums up the predators teeth and mouth, causing the predator to release the frog to free up its mouth. The gummy substance clears out of the predators mouth after several days; it contains a toxin that occasionally causes allergic reaction in humans. The allergic reaction will not kill a human and it secreets it only when he is frightened.

[edit] Sub species

  • Dyscophus antongilli (Grandidier, 1877). Madagascar tomato frog, found in Madagascar and threatened due to habitat destruction.
  • Dyscophus guineti (Grandidier, 1875). False Tomato Frog.
  • Dyscophus insularis (Grandidier, 1872). Tomato Frog.


[edit] External links

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