The Kihansi spray toad, Nectophrynoides asperginis, is a yellowish dwarf toad, with females reaching up to 2.9 cm (1.1 in) long and males up to 1.9 cm (0.75 in). This ovoviviparous species was scientifically described in 1999.
It was found only in the spray zone around the Kihansi waterfalls in the southern Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania. At about 20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft), this was the smallest natural distribution known for any vertebrate species, but it was abundant within its tiny range, and had a population of around 17,000 individuals. Following the construction of the Kihansi Dam, it became extinct in the wild. A captive breeding program is maintained at a few U.S. zoos, and it is hoped the Kihansi spray toad can be reintroduced back into its natural range.
Read more about Kihansi Spray Toad: Extinction in The Wild, Survival in Captivity, Reintroduction
Famous quotes containing the words spray and/or toad:
“I discovered
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when spray from the hose
played on its pocks and warts....”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)
“We were watched. I didn’t see anything, I felt it, in my stomach. I was a toad on a wet rock. A snake was looking at my back.”
—John Paxton (1911–1985)