Painted burrowing frog  (Scaphiophryne gottlebei)

Description

One of the most highly decorated of the Madagascan frogs, the painted burrowing frog is a small, roundish, brightly coloured species with a distinctive white, red, green and black pattern on the back. The skin of the back is very smooth, but the skin of the grey belly is a little bit rough. The ears are inconspicuous, but the eyes are prominent. Adapted for both the underground and climbing lifestyles, the painted burrowing frog has horny tubercles on the underside of the hind feet to help with burrowing, and claws on the forefeet for clinging to vertical canyon walls (2). The tadpoles are very conspicuous, quite big, and blackish.

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