Cliff Chirping Frog (Syrrhophus marnockii)
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Syrrhophus marnockii, the Cliff Chirping Frog, is one of our smaller frogs (up to 1.5 inches), and is nocturnal. Although it is not often seen, it is easily heard throughout much of the year in damp weather, its chirping, birdlike call among the rocks a friendly sound in the night. This rather plain looking frog is a member of a group of frogs found mostly in the tropics. The Cliff Chirping Frog's special adaptation to our arid climate is the ability of the tadpoles to metamorphose into adult frogs inside the egg without needing to be submersed in water. To live and reproduce, all this frog needs is a damp burrow under rocks or cement slabs, where it eats mostly small arthropods. Originally an inhabitant of canyon cliffs, it can travel from place to place in the bottom of plant pots, and appears to be adapting well as it spreads to man-made habitats throughout Austin.
class: Amphibia / order: Anura / family: Ranidae / genus: Syrrhophus / species: marnockii
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