Common Name: Mindanao Fanged Frog, Giant Philippine Frog
Scientific Name: Limnonectes magnus
Family: Dicroglossidae – Forked Tongue Frog Family
Location: Philippines
Size: 4.4 inches (113 mm)
The Mindanao Fanged Frog lives along streams and rivers in lower montane and lowland forests. They can often be found sitting on rocks and boulders in these waters but also amongst the leaf litter on the ground. The frog is found on the islands of Basilan, Biliran, Bohol, Camiguin Sur, Dinagat, Leyte, Mindanao, and Samar.
The genus Limnonectes is referred to as the Fanged Frogs due to the frogs having large, fang like projects on their lower jaw bone. These are not technically teeth and serve a different purpose. Teeth are used to grind or tear up the food while these “fangs” are used to hold the prey inside their mouth, like jail bars. They mostly eat insects, mostly crickets and grasshoppers.
The frog lays their eggs in quiet side pools of the streams or river.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Mindanao Fanged Frog as Near Threatened with Extinction. This is due to major declines in the population numbers due to habitat loss due the clear cutting down of the forests to make room for agricultural operations or logging. Additionally, the streams and rivers are being polluted due to agricultural run off.