Hemiphractidae |  |
126 species in 6 genera
Commonly Called Horned Frogs, Marsupial Frogs
Flectonotus pygmaeus
Photo by Mauricio Rivera Correa
(Click for family gallery)The family Hemiphractidae is known for its direct-development with a unique means of parental care. These species bear the developing eggs on the back until they hatch, sometimes also carrying its tadpoles and froglets. Frogs of the genera Flectonotus, Fritziana, and Gastrotheca are known as "marsupial" frogs since they carry the developing embryos in a dorsal pouch. Cryptobatrachus, Hemiphractus, and Stefania lacks a dorsal pouch and carry their eggs and tadpoles on their back. All members of this family except for Flectonotus pygmaeus have embryos with two pairs of bell-shaped gills, which derive from the first and second branchial arches. Frogs of the genus Hemiphractus have distinct triangle-shaped heads and spiky protuberences above their eyes, on their rostrum, legs and sides.
Written by AmphibiaWebNotable Family Characteristics
- Terrestrial
- Tropical rainforests
- Direct development; specialized dorsal pouch houses the eggs until they hatch as froglets (Flectonotus, Fritziana, Gastrotheca), or eggs, tadpoles are carried on the back (Cryptobatrachus, Hemiphractus, Stefania)
- Hemiphractus have distinct triangle-shaped heads and spiky protuberences above their eyes, on their rostrum, legs and sides
- Distribution in South and Central America, in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama.
Cartography Credit: Zoe Yoo, UC Berkeley
Range maps sources: AmphibiaWeb, UC Berkeley, and IUCN RedListRelevant Reference
Duellman, W. E. 2015. Marsupial Frogs. Gastrotheca & Allied Genera. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Pough, F. H., R. M. Andrews, M. L. Crump, A. H. Savitzky, K. D. Wells, and M. C. Brandley. 2015. Herpetology. Fourth Edition. Massachusetts: Sinauer.
Genus Cryptobatrachus (7 species)
Cryptobatrachus boulengeri no account photos no sound/video Cryptobatrachus conditus no account no photos no sound/video Cryptobatrachus fuhrmanni no account photos no sound/video Cryptobatrachus nicefori no account no photos no sound/video Cryptobatrachus pedroruizi account no photos no sound/video Cryptobatrachus remotus no account no photos no sound/video Cryptobatrachus ruthveni no account no photos no sound/video
Genus Flectonotus (2 species)
Flectonotus fitzgeraldi account photos no sound/video Flectonotus pygmaeus no account photos no sound/video
Genus Fritziana (7 species)
Fritziana fissilis no account photos no sound/video Fritziana goeldii no account photos no sound/video Fritziana izecksohni no account no photos no sound/video Fritziana mitus account photos no sound/video Fritziana ohausi no account photos no sound/video Fritziana tonimi no account no photos no sound/video Fritziana ulei account no photos no sound/video
Genus Gastrotheca (79 species)
Gastrotheca abdita account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca aguaruna no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca albolineata no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca andaquiensis account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca angustifrons no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca antomia no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca antoniiochoai account photos sound/video Gastrotheca aratia no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca argenteovirens no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca atympana no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca aureomaculata no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca bufona no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca carinaceps no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca christiani no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca chrysosticta no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca coeruleomaculatus no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca cornuta account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca cuencana no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca dendronastes no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca dissimilis no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca dunni no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca dysprosita no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca elicioi no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca ernestoi no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca espeletia no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca excubitor no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca fissipes no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca flamma no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca flavodactyla no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca fulvorufa no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca galeata no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca gemma no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca gracilis no account photos sound/video Gastrotheca griswoldi no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca guentheri no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca helenae no account photos sound/video Gastrotheca lateonota no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca lauzuricae no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca litonedis no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca lojana no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca longipes no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca marsupiata no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca megacephala no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca microdiscus no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca monticola no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca nebulanastes account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca nicefori no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca ochoai no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca oresbios no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca orophylax account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca ossilaginis no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca ovifera no account photos sound/video Gastrotheca pacchamama account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca pachachacae account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca peruana no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca phalarosa no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca phelloderma account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca piperata no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca plumbea no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca prasina no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca pseustes no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca psychrophila no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca pulchra no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca rebeccae no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca recava no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca riobambae account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca ruizi no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca spectabilis no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca splendens no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca stictopleura no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca testudinea no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca trachyceps account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca trachyplevra no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca turnerorum no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca walkeri no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca weinlandii no account photos no sound/video Gastrotheca williamsoni no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca yacuri no account no photos no sound/video Gastrotheca zeugocystis no account no photos no sound/video
Genus Hemiphractus (9 species)
Hemiphractus bubalus no account photos no sound/video Hemiphractus elioti no account photos no sound/video Hemiphractus fasciatus no account photos no sound/video Hemiphractus helioi account photos no sound/video Hemiphractus johnsoni no account photos no sound/video Hemiphractus kaylockae no account photos no sound/video Hemiphractus panamensis no account photos no sound/video Hemiphractus proboscideus account photos no sound/video Hemiphractus scutatus no account photos no sound/video
Genus Stefania (22 species)
Stefania ackawaio no account no photos no sound/video Stefania ayangannae no account no photos no sound/video Stefania breweri no account no photos no sound/video Stefania coxi no account no photos no sound/video Stefania evansi no account no photos no sound/video Stefania ginesi no account photos no sound/video Stefania goini no account no photos no sound/video Stefania imawari no account no photos no sound/video Stefania maccullochi no account no photos no sound/video Stefania marahuaquensis no account no photos no sound/video Stefania neblinae no account no photos no sound/video Stefania oculosa no account no photos no sound/video Stefania percristata no account no photos no sound/video Stefania riae no account no photos no sound/video Stefania riveroi no account no photos no sound/video Stefania roraimae no account no photos no sound/video Stefania satelles no account photos no sound/video Stefania scalae no account photos no sound/video Stefania schuberti no account no photos no sound/video Stefania tamacuarina no account no photos no sound/video Stefania upuigmae no account no photos no sound/video Stefania woodleyi no account no photos no sound/video
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