Kopp's Kritters

World's Smallest Frog Found

2012-01-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

Interesting article I found on the internet about a new frog found in Papua New Guinea.

World's smallest frog discovered in Papua New Guinea

January 12, 2012|By David Challenger, CNN

The world's smallest vertebrate -- animals that have a backbone -- is a frog that could sit within the confines of your fingernail, a new study reports.
Scientists found the new species, which on average is just 7.7 millimeters long, in the southwestern Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea.
The frog, scientifically named Paedophryne amauensis, spends its life in moist leaf litter on the floors of tropical wet-forests. Males call out with a continuous series of high-pitched notes at dawn and dusk, resembling the sound of crickets, says Christopher Austin, associate professor at Louisiana State University who led the team that discovered the frog.
"We think the really small body size is an evolutionary adaptation to occupy this really moist, leaf litter niche in New Guinea," Austin said. Typically, small frogs dry out quickly, but this tiniest species has a habitat that stays moist for most of the year.
Describing their findings in the online research journal PLoS ONE, researchers say the animals have simplified skeletons and are born directly as frogs, as opposed to first going through a tadpole stage. Researchers believe these creatures eat even smaller animals, such as mites, Austin said.
The discovery "is of considerable interest to biologists because little is understood about the functional constraints that come with extreme body size, whether large or small," the report in the journal states.
Previously the smallest vertebrate was believed to have been a fish known as Paedocypris progenetica, which matures at 7.9 millimeters. There has been speculation that aquatic habitats are home to the world's smallest and largest vertebrates, but this frog contradicts that theory, Austin says.
Although the smallest frogs are just being reported on now, they are locally abundant, Austin said.
The discovery reveals that tiny frogs "are not merely curiosities, but represent a previously unrecognized ecological guild. Such discoveries are increasingly critical in this time of global amphibian declines and extinctions," the report says.

Corn Snake

2011-12-10T03:47:00.000-08:00

Heading out shortly for Anderson SC. Hoping to return with a corn snake from the Repticon show. This will be the first animal I will add to my Ga. animal collect.

2011-11-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

On my way to the Georgialina Chicken Show in Augusta, Ga. Want to learn more about chickens. My sister is going with me to learn more about them even though she has had chickens for years.

Kopp's Kritters at Coile Middle School

2011-11-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

Today, Thursday, Nov3, 2011, Kopp's Kritters will be at Coile Middle School Festival from 4 pm to 6 pm with our animals. The Agriculture Science students will be helping us.

Hatching Chicken Eggs

2011-11-01T04:23:00.000-07:00

I am going to try my hand at hatching some Lavender Orphington Chicken eggs. I have the incubator and 17 eggs to start my adventure today. It will take 21 days to see if I am successful at this endeavor. I have several people who want the chickens if they hatch and a classroom that wants to watch the chicks hatch. Everything is in place. I will keep you dated.

Join was today at Grace Fellowship Church Bogart, GA

2011-10-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

Kopp's Kritters will have the petting zoo at Grace Fellowship Suday, Oct 30 from 2 to 5 pm. Come join us for all the fun things they will have set up there and to visit with the animals.

Vet visit on Friday

2011-10-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

Jean Luc, French Lop Eared Rabbit, went for his recheck today. Dr said he is looking better and that he even gained some weight. Way to go Jean Luc! He has to go back next week for another recheck. I hope that will be the last one.

This was the first time I met the new vet and I was impressed with her. Tom had to take Jean Luc by himself last Saturday since I was setting up the petting zoo.