'Leptodactylidae'
Leptodactylid Frogs
David Cannatella
- Ceratophryinae
- Eleutherodactylinae
- Hylodinae
- Leptodactylinae
Introduction
Leptodactylids are a large and diverse group of frogs with most of their diversity in South and Central America and the West Indes. There are about 50 genera with 700 species; the genus Eleutherodactylus has about 400 species. Leptodactylids barely reach into the United States, and are not present in Europe, Africa, or Asia. Most leptodactylids are brownish or grayish, and on the whole lack bright colors seen in some other groups.
Variation in size is extreme; some are as small as 12 mm (Sminthillus limbatus) and as large as 250 mm. There is much diversity in habits. Lithodytes lineatus is a forest-floor dweller. Some species of Eleutherodactylus are arboreal. Telmatobius are highly aquatic. Ceratophrys has a huge head and mouth, and eats other vertebrates. The fossil record is sparse; †Wawelia is known from the Upper Miocene and †Neoprocoela from the Lower Oligocene, both of Argentina. A few other genera are present in Pleistocene deposits.
Notes about Terminal Taxa
Ceratophyinae--This is a group of two big-headed, carnivorous and aggressive genera, one terrestrial (Ceratophrys) and the other mostly aquatic (Lepidobatrachus).
Telmatobiinae--This group is probably not monophyletic, and includes diverse groups of taxa that are not readily assigned to other subfamilies. Eleutherodactylus is in this group. The tribe to which Eleutherodactylus belongs (Eleutherodactylini) includes the Syrrhophus and Hylactophryne and is characterized by having terrestrial eggs with direct development.
Hylodinae--This is a group of three genera from southeastern Brazil and adjacent Argentina. Lynch (1971) argued that Dendrobatidae was closely related to this group.
Leptodactylinae--These are a lineage of mostly foam-nest builders. One species of Leptodactylus reaches into southern Texas. The genus Physalaemus has been the subject of behavioral studies by Mike Ryan and colleagues.
Geographic Distribution
The distribution of living members of the family Leptodactylidae is indicated in red.
Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships
"Leptodactylidae" comprises those non-myobatrachid hyloids that lack particular derived features traditionally considered to be indicators of family status, such as intercalary cartilages (Hylidae, Pseudidae, and Centrolenidae) and Bidder's organ (Bufonidae). Other small groups that would be classified as leptodactylids were it not for their derived features are rhinodermatids, brachycephalids, sooglossids, and heleophrynids. No synapomorphies for "Leptodactylidae" have been proposed, and Ford (1989b) found the group to be grossly paraphyletic. However, her sampling of taxa was not sufficient to suggest an alternative taxonomy.References
Click here for general list of references
Title Illustrations
1. Syrrhophus marnockii; Photo © 1995 David Cannatella
2. Ceratophrys ornata, Argentina; Photo © 1995 David Cannatella
3. Lithodytes lineatus, Ecuador; Photo © 1995 David Cannatella
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About This Page
If you are interested in authoring or co-authoring the page for this taxon, or some part of it (even a species), contact David Cannatella.
David Cannatella
University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA
Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to David Cannatella at
Page copyright © 1995 David Cannatella
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'Leptodactylidae'. Leptodactylid Frogs.
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Citing this page:
Cannatella, David. 1995. 'Leptodactylidae'. Leptodactylid Frogs. Version 01 January 1995 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/%27Leptodactylidae%27/16943/1995.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
