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Awesome Amphibians

A list of tetrapod vertebrates within the class Amphibia. This list includes the orders Anura, Urodela, and Apoda.

Flown Kimmerling created this list 7 years ago

Gray/Cope's Gray Tree Frog - Hyla sp.
Ivory Coast Running Frog (Kassina arboricola) and friend
A Snouted Grassland Frog (Ptychadena longirostris) in the mud of Ghana
A Crowned Bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus occipitalis) hunkered down in the mud
An African Foam-nest Tree Frog (Chiromantis rufescens) posed on a branch
$Leptodactylus latrans - Butter Frog / Criolla Frog / Lesser Foam Frog / Rã-Manteiga... (Steffen, 1815) Amphibia: Lissamphibia: Batrachia: Anura: Neobatrachia: Bufonoidea: Leptodactylidae: Leptodactylinae Length: ~20mm Date: 2nd of June, 2018 at 02:23:20pm Location: Brazil, Ceará, Fortaleza, Trilha do Parque do Cocó (Lat: -3.75, Long: -38.49) Other pictures: 1 - https://www.jungledragon.com/image/65570/leptodactylus_cf._latrans_-_butter_frog_criolla_frog_lesser_foam_frog_r-manteiga..._steffen_1815.html 2 - https://www.jungledragon.com/image/65567/leptodactylus_cf._latrans_-_butter_frog_criolla_frog_lesser_foam_frog_r-manteiga..._steffen_1815.html 3 - https://www.jungledragon.com/image/65569/leptodactylus_cf._latrans_-_butter_frog_criolla_frog_lesser_foam_frog_r-manteiga..._steffen_1815.html Leptodactylus latrans (synonyms: Leptodactylus ocellatus (Girard, 1853), see Lavilla et al. (2010), and Leptodactylus macrosternum (Miranda-Ribero, 1926)) is a frog in the class Amphibia, subclass Lissamphibia, infraclass Batrachia, order Anura, suborder Neobatrachia, superfamily Bufonoidea, family Leptodactylidae and subfamily Leptodactylinae. The subject portrayed is a very young specimen, as adults are much larger. According to Borges-Martins et al. (2007), Leptodactylus latrans is the largest frog of Rio Grande do Sul. Adults have a length from 80 to 120mm (females with 80-110mm and males with 90-120mm) (Achaval & Olmos, 2003). However, immatures of Leptodactylus latrans, such as the subject portrayed, are very, very tiny with a length from snout to rear of around 20mm or less. The colors vary a lot from brown, to dark brown to greenish parts. Their body are covered in irregularly patterned oceli. Interorbital area possesses a large triangular dark patch. The popular name "butter frog" is due to the ease of letting them slip through your fingers. They are very widely distributed in South America and East of Andes (Frost, 2004). IUCN (further down) shouts for their distribution in Brazil (Ceará, Amazonas, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and São Paulo), Argentina (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Chaco, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Formosa, La Pampa, Misiones, Neuquén, Río Negro, Santa Fé, San Juan and San Luis), Uruguay (whole), Trinidad and Tobago (Icacos Swamp), Orinoco basin of Colombia and Southern Venezuela, Guianas (only in the Savannah areas) South through the Amazon Basin in Brazil to Northern and Eastern Bolivia (Santa Cruz), and East Paraguay. Wikipedia cites the possibility of Peru and mentions Suriname. "The identity of specimens referred to this species in Venezuela remains unclear. It has been recorded from sea level to around 1,400m asl." - IUCN, further down. L. chaquensis are also reminiscent of L. latrans; this is, however, a L. latrans due to the distribution status and morphology. Two short longitudinal "crests" can be seen on the laterals of the frog. I could note six longitudinal "crests" dorsally; the ones proximal to the laterals are longer while the medial ones are shorter, yet longer than those of the laterals. This means the frog had around 10 "crests" with a margin of error of 1 or 2 for less. I do not know if this number increases or decreases as they age; the individual portrayed is a very young specimen. Legs covered in oceli. Head with green parts when young; adults may have the green parts on the head and near or on the longitudinal "crests". A stripe can be seen going from the snout to the back of the eye and passing over the eardrums. Area beneath the eyes lighter. Anterior members are lighter in the offsprings (and possibly slightly lighter in adults). During reproductive season, which goes from September to March (or February) (Heyer et al., 1990), these members develop with spines on the thumbs to better grip females during sexual activities and the building of the foam mass for the eggs. Thumbs do not have dilations nor interdigital membranes. Males build a foam nest by beating glandular secretions of the females into a foamy mass while they are on the female's back, which will lay around 1.000 eggs (Achaval & Olmos, 2003). This mass protects the eggs, floats on the surface of the water and usually measures between 120 and 250mm in diameter with a central hole between 40 and 80mm in width. The foam is used to lower the risk of predation and to keep the eggs moist in tropical regions. Extended maternal care can be seen on this species; females are protective towards the tadpoles by attacking potential threats. The tadpoles are dark colored and swim in groups in still waters. When the breeding season starts the males will hide in aquatic vegetation to call for females in short, low-pitched monotonous notes. This happens more frequently before rain because the eggs are usually laid into seasonal ponds. Cannibals, the Leptodactylus latrans will feed on the members of the same species as well as Amphibia in general, larvae and adults of Insecta and arthropods in general, annelids, myriapods and pulmonates (Achaval & Olmos, 2003). Tadpoles are omnivorous and will feed on microorganisms, periphyton or carrion. Other carnivorous tadpoles may feed on the tadpoles of Leptodactylus as well as water insects and snakes. Adults are predated by snakes, fish, birds and a few big arthropods. Their habitats are many and include humid primary and secondary tropical forests, ponds, small lakes, flooded areas, Atlantic coast, elevated plains, savannahs, open dry areas, forest edges, along riverbanks, and pampas. "They are well adapted to habitat modification and disturbance" (IUCN, further down), which is further confirmed through this spotting located in a secondary, somewhat degraded humid tropical forest in Brazil, Ceará, Fortaleza. "They can also be found in rural gardens, secondary habitats and urban areas." (IUCN, further down) They are both diurnal and nocturnal in activity and are found near ponds. This is probably a defensive mechanism against predation; if a threat nears, they can jump into the water and are good swimmers, even if also terrestrial. Metamorphosis usually begins early, giving them an evolutionary advantage over other opposing tadpoles. As they eggs are usually laid in seasonal ponds, the early metamorphosis favours them before the pond dries. The predation risk is also diminished as there are no fish in seasonal ponds and water insects and carnivorous opponent tadpoles develop later after the filling of the pond. The tadpoles are aggressive towards threat and will usually try to bite to protect themselves. They will follow their mother in groups once they hatch; the mother will protect them during the day and night. The mother beats the water surface to warn the tadpoles of the nearing of potential predators so they can hide beneath her. During hot seasons with intensive need of feeding, the stomach of females and males increase size. The intestine in males is longer during the hot seasons with intensive need of feeding while the females' intestines are longer during the colder seasons due to high estrogen levels occurring before spawning. This means that the length of the intestine of females is related to the production of yolk. Although they are of least concern and there is no current significant threat to them in the IUCN v3.1 report (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/57151/0) due to their "...wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.", they can eventually be put into a more threatened level due to the hunting for food and "extreme habitat degradation and fire." Furthermore, according to this same source which can be confirmed through this spotting's location, they occur in many protected areas under their distribution range. Drainage of water sources, pesticides, fertilizers, pollutants and the introduction of exotic species might also threaten them. Sources: http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/index.php https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptodactylus_latrans#cite_note-IUCN-1 https://amphibiaweb.org/species/7436 http://www.ra-bugio.org.br/ver_especie.php?id=188 https://www.lafuc.com/leptodactylus-latrans- http://eol.org/pages/332924/overview Amphibia,Animalia,Anura,Brazil,Bufonoidea,Fall,Forest,Geotagged,Leptodactylidae,Leptodactylinae,Leptodactylus latrans,Lissamphibia,Neobatrachia,Neotropical,animal,animals,batrachia,fauna,frog,frogs$
Leptodactylus latrans - Butter Frog / Criolla Frog / Lesser Foam Frog / Rã-Manteiga... (Steffen, 1815)
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