''Micryletta steinegeri'' (common names: Stejneger's paddy frog, Stejneger's narrow-mouthed toad, paddy frog, Taiwan little pygmy frog) is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

in the family

Microhylidae The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family of frogs. The 683 species are in 63 genera and 11 subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family. Evolution A molecular phylo ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to central and southern

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

. In the past it has also been considered as a synonym of '' Micryletta inornata'' from continental Asia.

Description

''Micryletta steinegeri'' is a small frog, growing to a maximum length of . It has a slender body that is brown in colour, with irregular dark markings. Colouration varies a lot among individuals. Arms of front legs are orange. Breeding takes place in late spring and early summer in explosive breeding events. The tadpoles are almost transparent.

Range

Its range is fragmented within central and southern Taiwan. It is also present in

Kenting National Park Kenting National Park (), commonly known as Kenting (), is a national park located on the Hengchun Peninsula of Pingtung County, Taiwan, covering Hengchun, Checheng, and Manzhou Townships. Established on 1 January 1984, it is Taiwan's oldest a ...

Habitat and conservation

''Micryletta steinegeri'' inhabits broadleaf forests, sometimes also to be found in cultivated fields and orchards.

Tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found i ...

s develop in temporary rainwater pools, blocked ditches and cisterns. It is a rare frog known only from few localities. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2242511 Micryletta Endemic fauna of Taiwan Amphibians of Taiwan Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger Amphibians described in 1909 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot