Seychelles palm frog | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Family: | Sooglossidae |
Genus: | Sechellophryne |
Species: | S. pipilodryas
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Binomial name | |
Sechellophryne pipilodryas (Gerlach and Willi, 2002)
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Synonyms | |
Sooglossus pipilodryas Gerlach and Willi, 2002
[2] |
The Seychelles palm frog (Sechellophryne pipilodryas) is a species of frog that is endemic to Silhouette Island in the Seychelles. [3] It is closely related to Gardiner's frog, Sechellophryne gardineri.
The Seychelles palm frog inhabits forests higher than 150 m (490 ft) above sea level and is closely associated with the palm Phoenicophorium borsigianum (another Seychelles endemic); most individuals are found in axils of the palm. [1] It is the most arboreal of the Sooglossidae. As a result, the palm frog is the most recent species of the family to have been discovered (in 2000). [4]
The reproductive biology of this species is unknown, but it is presumed to involve direct development, i.e. eggs that hatch directly into froglets. [1] [4]
IUCN has reassessed the species in 2012 and concluded that Seychelles palm frog should be considered as " Critically Endangered" because of its small area of occupancy (about 7 km2), decline in population size, and threats to its habitat. Its earlier (2004) classification was only " Vulnerable". [1]