| Seychelles palm frog | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Sooglossidae |
| Genus: | Sechellophryne |
| Species: | S. pipilodryas |
| Binomial name | |
| Sechellophryne pipilodryas (Gerlach and Willi, 2002) | |
| Synonyms | |
Sooglossus pipilodryasGerlach and Willi, 2002 [2] | |
The Seychelles palm frog (Sechellophryne pipilodryas) is a species of frog that is endemic to Silhouette Island in the Seychelles. [3] It is closely related to Gardiner's frog, Sechellophryne gardineri.
The Seychelles palm frog inhabits forests higher than 150 m (490 ft) above sea level and is closely associated with the palm Phoenicophorium borsigianum (another Seychelles endemic); most individuals are found in axils of the palm. [1] It is the most arboreal of the Sooglossidae. As a result, the palm frog is the most recent species of the family to have been discovered (in 2000). [4]
The reproductive biology of this species is unknown, but it is presumed to involve direct development, i.e. eggs that hatch directly into froglets. [1] [4]
IUCN has reassessed the species in 2012 and concluded that Seychelles palm frog should be considered as "Critically Endangered" because of its small area of occupancy (about 7 km2), decline in population size, and threats to its habitat. Its earlier (2004) classification was only "Vulnerable". [1]
