Surinam toad
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Pipa arrabali |
Surinam toads, also called star-fingered toads, are a genus of frog within the family Pipidae. They are native to northern South America. Like other pipids, these frogs are almost exclusively aquatic.
The appearance of the toad is somewhat like a leaf. It is almost completely flat, and colored in a mottled brown. Feet are broadly webbed with the front toes having small, star-like appendages. Sizes of close to 20 cm (8 in), are recorded, though 10-13 cm (4–5 in) is more typical.
Surinam toads are most well-known for their remarkable reproductive habits. The partners rise from the floor while in amplexus and flip through the water in arcs. During each arc, the female releases 3-10 eggs, which get embedded in the skin on her back by the male's movements. After implantation the eggs sink into the skin and form pockets over a period of several days, eventually taking on the appearance of an irregular honeycomb. The larvae develop through the tadpole stage inside these pockets, eventually emerging from the mother's back as fully developed toads, though they are less than an inch long (2 cm).
