Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Igorot frog

- Arvin C. Diesmos National Museum of Natural History E-mail: nationalmu­seumph@yahoo.com

TAYLOR’S Igorot frog is one of the most colorful frogs in the Philippine­s.

The body coloration of an adult varies from leaf green to moss green and reddish brown, with a striking mottling of luminous green and leather brown.

This handsome species prefers pristine cool mountain streams. It has only been observed in riverine habitats in primary and mature secondary forests from 800 to 1,300 meters elevation. The body size of an adult frog ranges from 5 to 7 centimeter­s.

Taylor’s Igorot frog is found only in the northern regions of the Central Cordillera mountain range of Luzon. It was discovered by the American herpetolog­ist (an expert on amphibians and reptiles) Edward Taylor from the picturesqu­e hinterland­s of Balbalan, Kalinga province, in the 1920s. There are six species of frogs belonging to the genus

Sanguirana currently known in the Philippine­s, all of them found only in the country.

 ??  ?? Sanguirana igorota
Sanguirana igorota

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