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| Rabbs' Fringe-limbed Treefrog | |||
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| General information | |||
| Universe | Real Life | ||
| Classification | Ecnomiohyla rabborum | ||
| Homeworld | Earth | ||
| Environment | Pacific Ocean-facing cloud forests, Central Panama | ||
| Intelligence | Non-sapient | ||
| Biochemistry | Carbon-based lifeform | ||
| Discovered | 2005 | ||
| Discoverer | Joseph R. Mendelson III | ||
| Biological information | |||
| Lifespan | >6 years | ||
| Reproduction | Sexual; lays eggs | ||
| Average length | Males: 2.4 to 3.8 in (62 to 97 mm) Females: 2.4 to 3.9 in (61 to 100 mm) | ||
| Locomotion | Quadrupedal | ||
| Feeding behavior | Insectivorous | ||
| Prey | Tadpoles: Skin cells Adults: Insects | ||
| Distinctive features | Wide gliding feet | ||
| Skin color | Brown | ||
| Lineage information | |||
| Cultural information | |||
| Alignment | True Neutral | ||
| Personality | Nocturnal | ||
| Sociocultral characteristics | |||
| Members | Unnamed Female (last female) Unnamed Male (penultimate member) Toughie (last known member) | ||
| Scientific taxonomy | |||
| Genus | Ecnomiohyla | ||
| Species | rabborum | ||
| Other information | |||
| Status | Extinct | ||
| First sighting | 2005 | ||
| Last sighting | 2007 (in the wild) September 2016 (in captivity) | ||
| Possible population | 0 | ||
Rabbs' Fringe-limbed Treefrog (Ecnomiohyla rabborum) were a species of relatively large gliding treefrogs that inhabited the forest canopies of central Panama. They were only known to the Human race for a short period of time between 2005 and 2007 in the wild before an area-wide extinction, followed by the extracted members deaths by 2016, presumably due to the end of their natural lifespans.
The last two members of the species were an unnamed member that had to be euthanized in 2012 at Zoo Atlanta after its health began to decline, and Toughie, a tiny male who passed away in 2016 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Both of these specimens had been collected during research into the chytrid fungus that was devastating the amphibian population both in Panama and in the rest of the world.
Physiology[]
Rabbs' fringe-limbed treefrogs were capable of gliding via spreading their large and fully-webbed feet during a fall, thus controlling their descent. Males of the species were considered to be highly territorial, and after mating in the canopy, they would guard water-filled tree holes that they used for breeding purposes. Males also were expected to not only guard but to care for the young as well, providing them with their nutrition, which consisted of the skin cells off the father. They were the only known species as of 2016 to feed their young this way.
Extinction?[]
It is believed that the species may be extinct in the wild due to the epidemic of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in its native range. Despite the efforts of several conservation teams, captive breeding programs have all failed. The last known female of the species died in 2009. It was survived by two other individuals, both males. On February 17, 2012, one of the two was euthanized at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia due to failing health. The last known surviving member of the species, an adult male named Toughie, resided at the Atlanta Botanical Garden until his death in September 2016.
Hopefulness[]
While the species is believed to now be extinct due to the chytrid invasion, it is somewhat possible that some members still exist in the wilds of Panama. Some Human scientists are hopeful, as the habits of the genus - specifically staying up in the canopy of the forests, where they breed in the tree cavities - mean that they can be extremely difficult to find.