Golden-capped boulder frog

The golden-capped boulder frog (Cophixalus pakayakulangun) is a species of rainforest frog that is endemic to Australia.

Golden-capped boulder frog
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Cophixalus
Species:
C. pakayakulangun
Binomial name
Cophixalus pakayakulangun
Hoskin & Aland, 2011[1]

Etymology

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The specific epithet pakayakulangun has the approximate meaning of ‘belonging among the boulders’, from a local term in Kuuku Ya’u, a language of the Pakadji, or Sandbeach People, of eastern Cape York.[1]

Description

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The species grows up to about 55 mm in length (SVL). Colouration is grey or brown on the back; the belly is pale grey; there is often a yellow patch over the snout and eyelids. There are dark stripes from the snout to behind the eyes; the groin and backs of the thighs are pale orange-pink. The fingers and toes are unwebbed.[2]

Behaviour

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The frogs feed primarily on ants.[1]

Distribution and habitat

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The species is only known from the type locality, just south of Stanley Hill and north of the Pascoe River, on the Cape York Peninsula of tropical Far North Queensland.[2] There the frogs inhabit deeply piled granite boulder fields festooned with tropical rainforest vegetation.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Hoskin, Conrad J; Aland, Kieran (2011). "Two new frog species (Microhylidae: Cophixalus) from boulder habitats on Cape York Peninsula, north-east Australia". Zootaxa. 3027: 39–51. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3027.1.5.
  2. ^ a b "Cophixalus pakayakulangun". FrogID. Australian Museum. Retrieved 27 April 2021.