Description
Leptodactylus rugosus is a moderately sized species of frog. Adult males can be clearly distinguished by the darkly pigmented vocal sacs extended laterally. They also have a greater number of spines—one or two black spines are located on each hand and two extra spines can be found on the chest. Both males and females have short, rounded toe tips that have no fringes or fleshy regions. The upper shank and outer tarsus is usually covered by black or white tubercles. The dorsal region usually contains specific patterns of spots that can appear fused together or separated. Along the belly, the coloration can vary widely, from uniform gray to mottled gray and brown. As individuals mature, the belly coloration becomes less distinctive.

L. rugosus larvae belong to the semiterrestrial guild. They are elongated, ranging from 9-10 mm in head-body length, with low tail fins and glandular ridges located above the abdominal area. White flecks on a transparent surface characterize the throat region, while the dorsum is usually a uniform brown. The tail is usually brown dorsally and lighter cream ventrally, while the fins themselves are completeley clear with white spots.

Adults produce an advertising call that consists of a single note repeated one to seven times per minute. The call can last from 0.6-0.7 seconds and consists of frequent modulations and pulsations (Heyer and Thompson 2000).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela

	View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.
	View Bd and Bsal data (11 records).

Leptodactylus rugosus can only be found in granite and sandstone habitats in the eastern region of Estado de Bolivar, Venezuela and west of the Essequibo River in Guyana. Due to the distribution of this species in specific rocky outcroppings, it is difficult to provide a specific range for its distribution (Heyer and Thompson 2000).

Comments
Etymology:

Although Noble (1923) did not indicate exactly where the species name came from, it appears to derive from the rugose, or wrinkled, and warty appearance of many members of the species (Heyer, W.R. and A.S. Thompson, 2000).

References

Heyer, W. R. and Thompson, A. S. (2000). ''Leptodactylus rugosus.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 708.1-708.5.

Noble, G.K. (1923). ''New batrachians from the Tropical Research Station British Guiana.'' Zoologica, (3), 289-299.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2008 Leptodactylus rugosus <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/3363> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Nov 29, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 29 Nov 2024.

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