Cape narrow-necked [1] ( lat. Breviceps gibbosus ) is a species of tailless amphibian of the family Brevicipitidae .
| Cape Narrow |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Squad: | Tailless Amphibians |
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| International scientific name |
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Breviceps gibbosus ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
| Security status |
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Close to vulnerableIUCN 3.1 Near Threatened : 3069 |
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The body is very squat, up to 96 millimeters long. The upper body is covered with warts, the lower is rough. The upper part is brown, with a wide yellow-toothed serrated longitudinal stripe on the back and a fuzzy side stripe of the same color on both sides. The forehead and mouth are narrow. The eyes are small; their diameter is from a tenth to a fifteenth of the length of the head. The limbs are very short. The first and second fingers are the same length. The second finger is longer or slightly longer than the fourth. The fifth finger is no longer than the first. Subarticular humps are well recognized. The medial metatarsal hump is very large, in the form of a scoop and longer than the first finger [2] .
This species is found in the sandy areas of the South African Cape Peninsula from Picketberch to Stellenbosch ; another population is found in Newlands [3] .
The Cape Narcotus lives underground and usually appears shortly before the rains. It is found in humid conditions. Its instillation provides soil aeration in the southwestern part of the cape. It feeds on worms and small insects. In case of danger, the narrowness increases in size, swallowing air. Frogs have thick, muscular legs that allow them to dig in for shelter. This species does not require open reservoirs for reproduction, in fact, it does not know how to swim and will drown if placed in water [4] .
During the mating season, males make sounds sitting in the grass or from their shelters so that females can find them. Since the male is too small to hold the female firmly, she releases a sticky fluid that sticks it to her back. Fertilization occurs in the hole that the female dug, where groups of approximately 22 eggs are laid. They lay fertilized eggs and jelly capsules, which provide moisture for developing frogs. Females will remain buried near the eggs until the frogs pass the tadpole stage [4] .
