Newly Discovered Frogs, India: Jog’s Night Frog
by Christine Dell’Amore
The newfound species Jog’s night frog has an “extremely unique” parenting style, at least for frogs: Both mom and dad watch over their eggs until they hatch. Named for their habitat of Jog Falls, the frogs live along fast-flowing streams. When courting a female, the male will sit on a leaf or a branch above the stream and make an “advertisement call,” Das said.
When a female approaches, he’ll grasp her with his front legs for about 20 minutes. When he dismounts, the female lays eggs, which the male promptly fertilizes and then covers with his body. Researcher Biju Das has observed co-parenting in just six night-frog species, though he suspects it exists across the Nyctibatrachus genus.
(via: National Geo) (photo: Biju Das)
