Leiopelma waitomoensis

The Waitomo frog (Leiopelma waitomoensis) is an extinct species of the genus Leiopelma from New Zealand.[2][1]

Leiopelma waitomoensis
Temporal range: Late Holocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Leiopelmatidae
Genus: Leiopelma
Species:
†L. waitomoensis
Binomial name
†Leiopelma waitomoensis
Worthy, 1987[2]

The Waitomo frog's distribution was solely in the North Island of New Zealand. Its extinction is believed to have happened during the last 1000 years.[3] Its subfossil remains were discovered at a cave near Waitomo. L. waitomoensis was a large, robust frog, and presumably many times heavier than other native frogs.[4] It was around 100 mm in length, about twice the size of any other native New Zealand frogs. It was first described by Trevor H. Worthy in 1987 along with the Aurora frog and Markham's frog.[5]

See also

References
  1. Burns, Rhys J.; Bell, Ben D.; Haigh, Amanda; Bishop, Phillip J.; Easton, Luke; Wren, Sally; Germano, Jennifer (August 2018). Conservation status of New Zealand amphibians, 2017 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. p. 5. ISBN 9781988514680. OCLC 1052880982.
  2. "Waitomo Frog, Leiopelma waitomoensis Worthy, 1987; holotype". Collections Online. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  3. Worthy, Trevor H. (1987). "Palaeoecological information concerning members of the frog genus Leiopelma: Leiopelmatidae in New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 17 (4): 409–420. doi:10.1080/03036758.1987.10426482.
  4. Paddy Ryan (2012). "Frogs in New Zealand". Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  5. Worthy, Trevor H. (1987). "Osteology of Leiopelma (Amphibia: Leiopelmatidae) and descriptions of three new subfossil Leiopelma species". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 17 (3): 201–251. doi:10.1080/03036758.1987.10418160.


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