MOUNTAIN CHICKEN

Leptodactylus fallax

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Mountain Chicken

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Mountain Chicken

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RANGE: Reduced now to  the Caribbean islands of Montserrat & Dominica. Montserrat is a volcanic island of 41 square miles in the Leeward Islands, Lesser Antilles, East Caribbean Sea.

HABITAT: Forested cool humid areas above 1000 feet. In Montserrat this habitat for the frogs has been severely damaged by volcanic activity notably in 1995 & 2003, by recent hurricanes and by pigs, rats etc.

DIET: Typically crickets.

CONSERVATION STATUS: Mountain chickens were bred for the first time ever in captivity at Jersey Zoo in June 2000. Their future out of the wild now is assured as a result of successful captive breeding at Jersey Zoo. Their numbers in the wild in Montserrat remains uncertain and may depend on volcanic activity ceasing.

NOTES: They breed underground. Hunted for food (hence their unusual name) & considered a delicacy on the Islands.

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