Mountain Chicken
These are one of the world’s largest frogs. It has large legs, and it has a tan to dark brown colour, and is patterned with brown and black spots. Its belly area and sides are a cream with a pinkish hue.
What they eat
Mainly crickets and other invertebrates, but they will also eat other frogs, lizards and snakes.
How long they live
12 years +
Biology
Mountain Chickens breed in a completely unique way. A male and female frog produce a foam nest on land in which 15-50 tiny eggs are laid. These eggs hatch into tiny tadpoles, less than a centimetre long. Over the next 6-8 weeks they develop in the foam nest into tadpoles measuring over 15cm long. The female frog feeds the tadpoles throughout their development on unfertilised eggs which she squirts into the nest every 2-3 days. She supplies the tadpoles with tens of thousands of food eggs during their growth.
This unique method of breeding was discovered by studying this species in zoos as part of a conservation breeding programme for the species.
Chester Zoo is currently involved in a collaborative conservation project with the Dominican government and the Zoological Society of London to help try and save the species on the island.
Did you know?
Until the recent outbreak of Chytrid fungus, when the Dominican government introduced a hunting ban, the Mountain Chicken was the island’s national dish.
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Species Profile
Common name
Mountain Chicken
Scientific name
Leptodactylus fallax
Animal group/type
Amphibian - frog
Where they live
Caribbean islands of Montserrat and Dominica
Habitat
Cool, humid forests
Size
Adult length: 16cm
Weight
Up to 650g
Conservation status (IUCN Red List)
Critically Endangered
Threats
Natural disasters – volcanic eruptions on Montserrat in 1995 and 2003 destroyed large areas of their habitat.
Hunting for food – they are considered a delicacy on both Dominica and Montserrat..
Introduced predators such as feral pigs and rats.
Chytrid fungus currently poses the most serious threat to the survival of Dominica’s Mountain Chickens. Since 2004, when the fungus was first detected their numbers have declined by over 90 percent.