Dominica’s unique amphibians
There are four types (species) of amphibian in Dominica.
Mountain chicken (Crapaud)
- Mountain chicken (Crapaud) (Leptodactylus fallax) – this is the best known of Dominica’s amphibians. It is one of the largest frogs in the world and is now found only in Dominica and Montserrat
- Gounouj (Eleuthrodactylus amplinympha) – first discovered in 1994 and is very special since it is only found in the highlands of Dominica and nowhere else in the world
- Tink frog (Eleuthrodactylus martinicensis) – found on several islands in the Lesser Antilles
- Johnstone’s whistling frog (Eleuthrodactylus johnstonei) – introduced to Dominica in the 1980s from other islands in the region
Dominica and the Mountain chicken
The mountain chicken is the traditional national dish of Dominica (hence its other name of mountain chicken – its meat tastes like chicken, but the frog lives mainly in the lowlands and not in the mountains!). Its importance to the Dominican culture is also reflected by its inclusion in the national Coat of Arms.