Arthroleptidae |  |
151 species in 8 genera
Commonly Called Squeaker Frogs, Long-fingered Frogs, Night Frogs, Egg Frogs, Hairy Frogs, Gabonese Forest Frogs, African "Big-eyed" Treefrogs
Cardioglossa gracilis
Photo by David Blackburn
(Click for family gallery)These African genera were once considered part of the large Ranidae family, but have been shown to be sister to the Hyperoliidae (African Reed Frogs, Treefrogs, and Running Frogs). None of the Arthroleptidae are found on oceanic islands, with the single exception of Leptopelis palmatus which occurs on the island of Principe. Both the Arthroleptidae and Hyperoliidae are part of a larger radiation that is restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, which also includes the Hemisotidae and Brevicipitidae (the latter formerly included as a subfamily of the Microhylidae). Within the Arthroleptidae, subfamily taxonomy is still not fully resolved. Arthroleptids include frogs with a diverse range of morphology, ecology, body sizes, and life history. All of these genera can be found in forests, but Leptopelis and Arthroleptis can also be found in woodlands and moist grasslands. Members of some other genera are sometimes found in moist high-altitude grasslands.
All genera have tadpoles, except Arthroleptis and possibly a few Leptopelis species which have direct development. Tadpoles inhabit streams but some Leptopelis can be found in small pools. Adults and tadpoles of Astylosternus, Trichobatrachus, and Leptodactylodon are eaten by local people.
The Hairy Frog (Trichobatrachus robustus) is the most famous of the arthroleptid species, due to breeding males possessing highly vascularized and hair-like dermal extensions. These extensions are believed to aid in cutaneous respiration.
Written by David Blackburn, University of Kansas.Notable Family Characteristics
- Generally small frogs (less than 40 mm snout-vent length)
- Most genera have tadpoles (exceptions are Arthroleptis and possibly a few Leptopelis species, which have direct development)
- Unlike ranids, of which they were once considered, arthroleptids have cartilaginous sterna, (ossified in ranids)
- Found in forest leaf-litter; Leptopelis and Arthroleptis can also be found in woodlands and moist grasslands.
- Distribution limited to Sub-Saharan Africa
Detailed Family Account here 
Cartography Credit: Zoe Yoo, UC Berkeley
Range maps sources: AmphibiaWeb, UC Berkeley, and IUCN RedListRelevant Reference
Zimkus, B. M., and D. C. Blackburn. 2008. Distinguishing features of the sub-Saharan frog genera Arthroleptis and Phrynobatrachus: a short guide for field and museum researchers. Breviora. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 513: 1–12.
Genus Arthroleptis (49 species)
Arthroleptis adelphus no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis adolfifriederici no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis affinis no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis anotis no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis aureoli no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis bioko account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis bivittatus no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis brevipes no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis carquejai no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis crusculum account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis fichika no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis formosus no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis francei no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis hematogaster no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis kidogo no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis krokosua no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis kutogundua no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis lameerei no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis langeri account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis loveridgei no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis mossoensis no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis nguruensis no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis nikeae account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis nimbaensis no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis nlonakoensis account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis nyungwensis no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis palava account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis perreti account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis phrynoides no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis poecilonotus account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis pyrrhoscelis account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis reichei no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis schubotzi no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis spinalis no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis stenodactylus account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis stridens no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis sylvaticus no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis taeniatus no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis tanneri no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis troglodytes no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis tuberosus no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis variabilis no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis vercammeni no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis wageri no account no photos no sound/video Arthroleptis wahlbergii no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis xenochirus no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis xenodactyloides no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis xenodactylus no account photos no sound/video Arthroleptis zimmeri no account no photos no sound/video
Genus Astylosternus (12 species)
Astylosternus batesi account photos no sound/video Astylosternus diadematus account photos no sound/video Astylosternus fallax account photos no sound/video Astylosternus laticephalus account photos no sound/video Astylosternus laurenti account no photos no sound/video Astylosternus montanus account photos no sound/video Astylosternus nganhanus account no photos no sound/video Astylosternus occidentalis account photos no sound/video Astylosternus perreti account photos no sound/video Astylosternus ranoides account photos no sound/video Astylosternus rheophilus account photos no sound/video Astylosternus schioetzi account photos no sound/video
Genus Cardioglossa (18 species)
Cardioglossa alsco no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa annulata account no photos no sound/video Cardioglossa congolia account no photos no sound/video Cardioglossa cyaneospila no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa elegans no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa escalerae no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa gracilis no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa gratiosa no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa inornata no account no photos no sound/video Cardioglossa leucomystax no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa melanogaster no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa nigromaculata no account no photos no sound/video Cardioglossa occidentalis account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa oreas no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa pulchra no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa schioetzi no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa trifasciata no account photos no sound/video Cardioglossa venusta no account photos no sound/video
Genus Leptodactylodon (15 species)
Leptodactylodon albiventris no account no photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon axillaris no account photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon bicolor no account photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon blanci no account no photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon boulengeri no account no photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon bueanus no account photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon erythrogaster no account photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon mertensi no account photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon ornatus no account photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon ovatus no account photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon perreti no account photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon polyacanthus no account no photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon stevarti no account no photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon ventrimarmoratus no account photos no sound/video Leptodactylodon wildi no account photos no sound/video
Genus Leptopelis (54 species)
Genus Nyctibates (1 species)
Nyctibates corrugatus no account photos no sound/video
Genus Scotobleps (1 species)
Scotobleps gabonicus no account photos no sound/video
Genus Trichobatrachus (1 species)
Trichobatrachus robustus account photos no sound/video
Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: https://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed:
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