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New Zealand Frogs: Leiopelmatidae

New Zealand Frogs And People

As people have developed the land in New Zealand, these frogs have had to survive in smaller and smaller areas. Strict laws are now in place to protect the frogs and the places they live.

JURASSIC FROGS

Scientists are especially interested in New Zealand frogs because they have some very primitive features, including extra backbones and muscles that are designed to move tails. Since the frogs have no tails, scientists believe the tail-wagging muscles are left over from long-extinct ancestors of these species. The only other living frogs with these features are frogs of the family Ascaphidae. The extra backbones are also seen in fossils from the first frogs to live on Earth. The fossils date back to about 150 million years ago, which means the frogs shared the planet with dinosaurs.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceAmphibiansNew Zealand Frogs: Leiopelmatidae - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, New Zealand Frogs And People, Conservation Status, Hamilton's Frog (leiopelma Hamiltoni): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET