Kiwi climate benefits long life
30 Mar 2009
New Zealand's climate offers more than Australia's when it comes to a long life span, according to new research into frogs.
Scientists at Victoria University, Wellington, have revealed that the tiny Maud Island frog, a threatened amphibian species, can reach the grand old age of 37 - the oldest recorded age of any frog out of captivity.
Comfort zone
Similarly long lives could be seen in other New Zealand animals, according to Professor Ben Bell who is a researcher on the study.
"In frog terms, it's very comfortable here and it helps them to live longer. Australia has some amazing frogs that do very interesting things, but I don't know of any as long lived as these ones.
"Animals tend to do this in New Zealand, live for a very long time, like the geckos and the tuatara and the frogs are just following suit," Professor Bell said.
"There's something about the very comfortable climate, the few extremes in weather that works for them and allows them to just keep on going."
Tracking old timers
Professor Bell, who has spent 25 years tracking the frog population on Maud Island, in the Marlborough Sounds, said the oldest three were now at least 34, 35 and 37 years old respectively.
"They could be even older than this, and they may just keep on living for years to come. We just don't know."
Record books
Less than 5cm in length, the tiny Maud Island frog is the world's most primitive frog.
The Maud Island frog has extra vertebra and ribs in its skeleton, doesn't croak and can't hear very well.
Unlike modern frogs, it has no external ears, and prefers tosit and wait for the food to come to them.
"They've also got these large eyes almost like headlights on a Volkswagen Beetle that help them see in the dark," Professor Bell said.
The population is stable at 25,000 frogs, largely because their island home is predator-free.
More information:
Tiny NZ frog leaps into conservation history
NZ scientists in global fight for native frogs
These topics may also be of interest to you
|
