Gastrotheca riobambae, a marsupial frog found in the Andes of southern Colombia and Ecuador between the altitudes of 1800 metres and 4135 metres. This

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Gastrotheca riobambae, a marsupial frog found in the Andes of southern Colombia and Ecuador between the altitudes of 1800 metres and 4135 metres. This female was found in Miguir, Azuay, Ecuador. She is pregnant, carrying her eggs in a dorsal pouch. The only sign of her state is the swollen appearance of her body. The eggs hatch into tadpoles and these latter remain in the pouch until reasonably mature. At some point in their development, they are released into a pond through a slit in the dorsal pouch. In some species of Gastrotheca the young remain in the pouch until they are fully developed young frogs.

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Photo credit: © DR MORLEY READ/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: amphibian, animal, carrying, colombia, ecuador, egg, frog, frogs, gastrotheca, marsupial, nature, riobambae, wildlife, zoology