Occurs throughout northeastern Brazil, in the states of Maranhao, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceara, Bahia, and Minas Gerais. This species is found up to 750 m above sea level. It prefers savannah (Caatinga and Cerrado) and dunes (IUCN 2006).
Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors This frog is fossorial, spending most of its time below ground or buried in sand. Breeding is explosive and occurs in temporary pools, with rapid larval development. Pleurodema diplolister constructs foam nests in the water (IUCN 2006).
Possible reasons for amphibian decline
Intensified agriculture or grazing
Comments
The video by Dr. Walter Hödl below shows calling behavior of the burrowing frog Pleurodema diplolister.
The video by Dr. Walter Hödl below shows calling behavior and foam-nest construction of the burrowing frog Pleurodema diplolister.
This species was featured as News of the Week on 6 May 2019:
Amphibians are able to survive for long periods under conditions of severe environmental dryness. Frogs occupying the semi-arid Caatinga region of Brazil -- about 18% of Brazilian territory and experiences a three-month dry season that may become extended by months or even years-- were investigated to determine if any special features exist that enable them to survive such conditions. The frogs form concentrations in beds of temporary rivers, where they survive for long periods. No morphological features of special survival value were found, but a combination of lethargy during aestivation and a highly permeable integument which enable frogs to detect decreases in moisture levels and move to more favorable settings facilitates their survival. When rain finally falls, explosive breeding is typical of many of the species. Behavioral adjustments are the keys to survival (Written by David B. Wake).
Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2019 Pleurodema diplolister: Peters’ Four-eyed Frog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/3427> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Dec 1, 2024.