In the magical ancient land of Africa, there is a special frog with a body length of one meter and an adult male frog weighing three kilograms. This frog is called the Cameroonian giant frog by the locals. Its eyes are 2.5 centimeters in diameter, which is more than ten times that of an ordinary frog. It is like a radar, monitoring live animals at any time, and its wide mouth can swallow relatively large food. Unfortunately, as humans continue to kill, this African giant frog is now on the verge of extinction.
The picture shows the African giant frog
1. Distinctive living habits and special features of the African giant frog
are both frogs, but the African giant frog has a very high jumping ability, maybe this is different Its length is directly related. Most African giant frogs are about 30 centimeters in length. When they spread their back legs and prepare to jump, they can reach nearly one meter in length. It is currently the largest frog in the world.
There have been relevant data records that the African giant frog jumped more than five meters in one jump. It can be said that the jumping ability of such giant frogs is very high. They like to live in the original humid forests of Africa or large rivers. They rarely live outside the water on weekdays. They are a kind of aquatic frogs. Generally, they live at a temperature of 25-29°C.
In addition, this African giant frog has many titles, such as the Overlord Frog and the Goliath Frog. The head of the African giant frog is triangular, the whole body is flat and wide, and the abdomen and limbs are yellow. The adult giant frog has granular warts on its skin. They will stay in the river during the day. They come out to move around at night.
Due to its huge size, giant frogs will prey on rodents on weekdays, and of course they will also eat some small animals such as crabs, turtles, spiders and other insects. There have been media reports that bats have been found in the abdomen of this African giant frog. The African giant frog living in the virgin forest can live to an average of about 15 years old; in the case of artificial breeding, it can live to an average of 21 years old.
The picture shows the African giant frog eating a mouse
2. The reproduction of the African giant frog
As the African giant frog is a kind of aquatic animal,So water sources are extremely important to them, especially when it comes to their reproduction. Compared with other frogs, African giant frogs do not have a sound capsule, so they do not rely on male frogs to attract the opposite sex like other frog brothers. They can only open their mouths and blow out howling. Once the female giant frog hears it , Will quickly respond to the male giant frog. On average, a female giant frog can lay hundreds of eggs at a time. The diameter of each egg is about 3.5 mm. It likes to lay eggs on the vegetation at the bottom of the river, and then hatch the eggs into tadpoles.
This reproduction method is the same as other frogs, and they are all reproduced by in vitro fertilization. In order to prevent young frogs from being harmed, male giant frogs will take advantage of the naturally formed depressions, and then take the initiative to remove debris in the depressions, using their huge bodies to make stones to dam them and cut off the river. There are related signs that male giant frogs will continue to guard their nests. For nearly three months, they will not stay away even in the middle of the night until their offspring hatch into tadpoles.
The picture shows the nest built by the African giant frog
3. Frogs are relatively low-end creatures in the food chain. Why does the African giant frog grow so big?
1. Necessary for survival, "moving bricks" has developed a huge body
The frog is the lowest end of the food chain, so why does the African giant frog grow so big? Some people speculate that part of the reason for this is related to the "moving bricks" of the African giant frog. As we mentioned earlier, in order to protect the cubs of their breeding offspring, African giant frogs will use their bodies to carry stones, and then make dams to slow down the flow of water. For this reason, the "moving bricks" has been practiced over time. Their huge physical stamina, in other words, this is the living environment that forced them to develop this special physique.
The picture shows the African giant frog moving things
2. The ancestor gene of the African giant frog is very powerful
Although the African giant frog is already very big, but in front of their ancestors, the African giant frog It became a "little guy". Compared with the African giant frog,Their ancestor devil frog has a body length of more than 40 cm and a weight of nearly 4.5 kg. Even if their hind legs are straightened, their body length can exceed 1.5 meters. This length seems to be close to the height of a primary school student. The devil frog can pass on its powerful genes, making the African giant frog the largest frog known so far. This is why the African giant frog can stand out among many frogs.
The picture shows the devil frog
4. The African giant frog has such a strong predatory ability, why would it be extinct?
Although African giant frogs often play the role of "predators" in nature, they are also eaten by other animals, especially humans. Now they have become the biggest threat to African giant frogs. For humans, compared with other animals, the African giant frog is extremely easy to catch. Although they are very long and have high jumping ability, their endurance is very poor. Generally, after jumping six or seven times in a row, the African giant frogs have no energy and need to rest immediately. At this time, it is a catch for humans. The best time for them.
We all know that Africans live by hunting. African giant frogs are regarded as the best delicacy by local Africans. So when people discovered its existence, the number of catches has been continuously increasing. With human activities, The habitat of the African giant frog is gradually decreasing. Under the influence of such unfavorable factors, the African giant frog is now on the verge of extinction.
The picture shows the capture of the African giant frog
5. In addition to the frog "Big Mac" on the land, there are also the "Big Mac" in the air
If the African giant frog is the land of the "frog" family In the Big Mac, then the "Big Mac" in the air is none other than the original Odonata. The original Odonata is an extinct order of Insecta. It is a giant in the sky at that time. Researchers have discovered one in the northwest of my country's Junggar Basin for 200 million years. Of the original dragonfly fossils,Its single wing is about 102 mm long, and its width reaches 210 mm. It is the second largest dragonfly fossil known in my country.
The reason why the original Odonata was so sturdy, the experts withdrew from this is related to the oxygen content of the earth at that time. 300 million years ago, the oxygen content of the earth reached about 35%, and dragonflies carried out through the stomata system in the body. Breathing, living in a high-concentration oxygen environment, gradually the dragonfly becomes very large, and its body size increases by about 15%.
The picture shows the original Odonata
Generally speaking, whether it is the endangered African giant frog or the disappeared original Odonata, for humans, we should stop over-killing creatures. The deliciousness is loved by people. It's not difficult to understand, but what people don't understand is that there are some things that are not suitable for food, humans can also eat them. For example, huge frogs in Africa, bats carrying various bacteria and viruses, etc. At this moment, we cannot allow the tragedy of species extinction to be staged non-stop. From the perspective of nature, everything in the world has its survival. Right, the ideal blueprint for human civilization is to live in harmony with nature!
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