Description
Vitreorana parvula is a diminutive glass-frog (SVL 17 mm). The snout in dorsal view is rounded and short, head as long as broad; the vomerine teeth are absent. Eyes large and prominent. Tympanum distinct, its diameter about 1/3 the eye diameter. Dorsal pattern is reticulate, not uniform. Finger and toe discs moderate. Outer tarsus and foot lacking folds, heel smooth, without fold. Skin smooth above; belly and lower surface of the thighs granulate. Bones are green. Cloacal region with granular seat patch.

Color: grayish or pale brown above, speckled with white, lower parts white. Pigment cells unevenly distributed (Taylor and Cochran 1955; Heyer 1985; Cisneros-Heredia and McDiarmid 2007). Cisneros-Heredia and McDiarmid (2007) provided a brief overview of the internal morphology: the liver is bulbous and iridophores are absent from the entire gastrointestinal tract but present on the urinary bladder.

The tadpole has not yet been described but should be similar to others of the species group (Altig and McDiarmid 1999).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Brazil

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

V. parvula presumably lives near forest streams and rivulets in primary forest. The species occurrence is restricted to the type locality in Lages (between 850 and 1500 m a.s.l.) and São Bento do Sul, southern Santa Catarina in southern Brazil (Heyer 1985). The regional climate is subtropical, with frosts and snow common in the winter. Araucaria woodlands form the main vegetation, which is very degraded. There are several rivers running through the city.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Vitreorana parvula has not been collected since its description. Its ecology is probably similar to that of other members of the species group, i.e., living near streams and rivulets inside primary forests, with oviposition taking place on leaves hanging above swift streams, to where tadpoles later drop and continue development (Haddad and Prado 2005). The advertisement call is unknown.

Trends and Threats
Its range encompasses the town of Lages (2,644.313 Km2) and São Bento do Sul on the south of the State of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil (Heyer 1985). Therefore, its range is not currently within any protected area. Population trend is unknown.

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss
Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities
Intensified agriculture or grazing
Subtle changes to necessary specialized habitat
Habitat fragmentation
Climate change, increased UVB or increased sensitivity to it, etc.

Comments
The species is known from the holotype described by Boulenger (1894).

References

Altig, R., and McDiarmid, R. W. (1999). ''Diversity: familial and generic characterization.'' Tadpoles: The Biology of Anuran Larvae. R. W. McDiarmid and R. Altig, eds., The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Boulenger, G. A. (1894). ''Third report on additions to the batrachian collection in the Natural History Museum.'' Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1894, 640-646.

Cisneros-Heredia, D. F., and McDiarmid, R. W. (2007). ''Revision of the characters of Centrolenidae (Amphibia: Anura: Athesphatanura), with comments on its taxonomy and the description of new taxa of glassfrogs.'' Zootaxa, 1572, 1-82.

Haddad, C. F. B., and Prado, C. P. A. (2005). ''Reproductive modes in frogs and their unexpected diversity in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.'' BioScience, 55, 207-217.

Heyer, W. R. (1985). ''Taxonomic and natural history notes on frogs of the genus Centrolenella (Amphibia: Centrolenidae) from southeastern Brasil and adjacent Argentina.'' Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia, 36, 1-21.

Ruiz-Carranza, P.M. and Lynch, J.D. (1991). ''Ranas Centrolenidae de Colombia I: Propuesta de una nueva clasificación genérica.'' Lozanía, (57), 1-30.

Taylor, E.H., and Cochran, D.M. (1953). ''Frogs of the family Centrolenidae from Brasil.'' The University of Kansas Science Bulletin, 35, 1625-1656.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2009 Vitreorana parvula: Lages Glass Frog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/1822> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Feb 2, 2025.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2025. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 2 Feb 2025.

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