Common Name: Nebulous Marsupial Frog
Scientific Name: Gastrotheca nebulanastes
Family: Hemiphractidae – Marsupial Frog family
Location: Peru
Size: 1.7 inches (37.3 mm) (male frogs are said to be larger)
The Nebulous Marsupial Frog lives in the cloud and montane scrub forests of Peru. The frogs breed all year long. The male frogs call out from any elevated position (trees, shrubs, rock walls, etc…) and from the ground to attract female frogs to mate with during the night. Once the female frog arrives and selects a mate, the male frog grasps her from behind in amplexus. The female frog lays her eggs and the male frog fertilizes them.
What makes the frog special is what happens next. The male frog moves the eggs into a pouch on the female frog’s back. In the pouch, the eggs develop and eventually, froglets emerge from the pouch. Its kinda like what kangaroos and other marsupials do, hence the name. One female was observed giving birth to 17 froglets.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Nebulous Marsupial Frog as Endangered with Extinction. The frog only lives in two small areas in Peru. Additionally, the populations have been hit hard by Chytrid Fungus, a deadly fungal pathogen.