Printable version Email this to a friend
Mountain Chicken Frog
The mountain chicken frog (leptodactylus fallax) is one of the largest frogs in the world, weighing in at over 2lbs. Because chytridiomycosis has killed so many frogs, it is estimated that the population of mountain chickens declined by about 70% between December 2002 and March 2004.
© Richard Gibson / DWCT Currently, the species is only found in Dominica and Montserrat, and was the traditional national dish of Dominica before the fungus reached the Caribbean - and is named mountain chicken because its meat tastes like chicken. The frog lives mainly in the lowlands and not in the mountains and its importance to the Dominican culture is also reflected by its inclusion in the national Coat of Arms.
As part of a rescue expedition,ZSL conservationists were able to track down only seven of the frogs, which are now kept in at ZSL London Zoo. The mountain chicken frogs at the zoo are one of only two groups from Dominica that have been taken into captivity. The other population of 12 frogs is held by a private collector in the United States.
Mountain chicken frogs breed by laying eggs in a foam-filled burrow. The mother stays near the burrow to feed the tadpoles with infertile eggs until they are ready to fend for themselves.
