top of page
Writer's pictureJennifer J

The Mountain Chicken 🐸


Mountain Chickens

Despite their name, Mountain Chickens aren't actually Chickens: they are Frogs. These tiny frogs are one of the rarest animals in the world; there are only a very small population of Mountain Chickens left in the wild today.

Today, there are less than 200 Mountain Chickens in the wild.

With their very low population, and their critically endangered species status, Mountain Chickens are very close to extinction, These unique and cute animals are very vulnerable to extinction today.

What Animal Family Are They Part Of?

Mountain Chickens belong to the Leptodactylidae animal family. The Leptodactylidae animal family is a group of animals which soley consists of Frogs: the Leptodactylidae family consists of different Frog species.

What Class Are Mountain Chickens Part Of?

Mountain Chickens are part of the class called: Amphibia. The Amphibia class of animals consists of all of the worlds amphibian species. These amphibian species include animal species like: Snakes, Frogs, Newts and more.

What Is The Scientific Name For These Frogs?

The scientific name for Mountain Chickens is: Leptodactylus fallax.

What Is Their Conservation Status?

Mountain Chickens today are critically endangered.

What Is Their Current Population Trend?

The current population trend of Mountain Chickens is that they are declining. Mountain Chickens have declined dramatically in just a short period of time: Mountain Chickens have declined massively in recent years, some reports say that Mountain Chickens have declined by a massive 95% in Dominica in recent years, while other reports say that Mountain Chickens have declined by a massive 90% between 2002 and 2009.

Their reported population trend also fits in with how many Mountain Frogs there are left in the wild today, as their population is very low.

What Is The Population Of Mountain Chickens?

Mountain Chickens have a very low population in the wild today: there are only 132 Mountain Chickens remaining in the wild today, according to the IUCN.

What Is The Habitat Of Mountain Chickens?

Mountain Chickens are only found within forests.

Where Are Mountain Chickens Found?

Mountain Chickens are only found within one country in the world: they are found in Dominica. These animals are only found in forests in Dominica.

What Do Mountain Chickens Eat In The Wild?

Mountain Chickens eat various things in the wild. The things that Mountain Chickens eat includes: insects and fish.

Mountain Chickens Breeding Season

During the breeding season, Mountain Chickens will have between 25 and 43 tadpoles per nest: the tadpoles of Mountain Chickens don't develop in water, they develop in the nests of Mountain Chickens.

The nests of Mountain Chickens is in the ground, where these animals create burrows. Both the males and the females will protect their nest.

What Are The Threats These Animals Face?

One of the biggest and most damaging threats to Mountain Chickens has been disease. It's thought that the massive decline of Mountain Chickens has been mostly to do with a fungal disease which has gripped the animals.

There are also several other threats that these animals face, including: habitat loss and destruction and volcanic activity of the island of Dominica.

bottom of page