Leptodactylidae |  |
227 species in 13 genera
Commonly Called Tropical Grass Frogs, Southern Frogs, White-lipped Frogs
Leptodactylus plaumanni
Photo by Mirco Sole
(Click for family gallery)This large and diverse New World family has undergone substantial taxonomic revision (Frost et al. 2006; Grant et al. 2006; Hedges et al. 2008). They are medium to large frogs, including Leptodactylus pentadactylus which can reach up to 185 mm snout-vent length and are sometimes consumed by humans. Commonly strong jumpers, these frogs have robust hindlimbs. They typically have tadpoles which may be aquatic or nonfeeding endotrophic larvae. Leptodactylus are known to create foam-nests made from cloacal secretions; their placement (surface of water, in treeholes, in foliage above streams, etc) are species-specific and vary widely.
Leptodactylids occur from southern Texas and Florida through Mexico and in South America. Some members also occur in the West Indies. They are sister taxon to Leiuperidae.
Written by AmphibiaWebNotable Family Characteristics
- Terrestrial
- Tadpoles both aquatic and free-living and endotrophic
- Leptodactylus build foam-nests in a variety of micro-habitats that are species-specific
- Territorial; some species also guard larvae from potential predators (e.g., Leptodactylus latrans)
- Morphological features include: 1) paired palatines and frontoparietals in skull; 2) eight presacral vertebrae; 3) intercalary cartilages between the terminal and penultimate phalanges absent; 4) variable tips of terminal phalanges; 5) distinct tympanum
- Distribution limited to southern North America (southern Texas, Florida, and Sonoran Mexico) through the West Indies, Central America, and throughout South America
Cartography Credit: Zoe Yoo, UC Berkeley
Range maps sources: AmphibiaWeb, UC Berkeley, and IUCN RedListRelevant Reference
Frost, D. R., Grant, T., Faivovich, J., Bain, R. H., Haas, A., Haddad, C. F. B., de Sá, R. O., Channing, A., Wilkinson, M., Donnellan, S. C., Raxworthy, C. J., Campbell, J. A., Blotto, B. L., Moler, P., Drewes, R. C., Nussbaum, R. A., Lynch, J. D., Green, D. M., and Wheeler, W. C. (2006). The amphibian tree of life. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 297, 1-370.
Grant, T., Frost, D. R., Caldwell, J. P., Gagliardo, R., Haddad, C. F. B., Kok, P. J. R., Means, D. B., Noonan, B. P., Schargel, W. E., and Wheeler, W. C. (2006). Phylogenetic systematics of dart-poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia: Athesphatanura: Dendrobatidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 299, 1-262.
Hedges, S. B., Duellman, W. E., and Heinicke, M. P. (2008). New World direct-developing frogs (Anura: Terrarana): Molecular phylogeny, classification, biogeography, and conservation. Zootaxa, 1737, 1-182.
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.
Vitt, L. J., and J. P. Caldwell. 2013. Herpetology. An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. Fourth Edition. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Subfamily Leiuperinae (104 species)
Genus Edalorhina (2 species) [subfamily Leiuperinae]
Edalorhina nasuta account no photos no sound/video Edalorhina perezi account photos no sound/video
Genus Engystomops (9 species) [subfamily Leiuperinae]
Engystomops coloradorum no account photos no sound/video Engystomops freibergi no account photos no sound/video Engystomops guayaco no account no photos no sound/video Engystomops montubio no account photos no sound/video Engystomops petersi no account photos no sound/video Engystomops pustulatus no account photos sound/video Engystomops pustulosus account photos sound/video Engystomops puyango no account photos no sound/video Engystomops randi no account photos no sound/video
Genus Physalaemus (50 species) [subfamily Leiuperinae]
Genus Pleurodema (16 species) [subfamily Leiuperinae]
Pleurodema alium no account no photos no sound/video Pleurodema bibroni no account no photos no sound/video Pleurodema borellii no account photos no sound/video Pleurodema brachyops no account photos no sound/video Pleurodema bufoninum no account photos no sound/video Pleurodema cinereum no account photos no sound/video Pleurodema cordobae no account no photos no sound/video Pleurodema diplolister account photos sound/video Pleurodema fuscomaculatum no account no photos sound/video Pleurodema guayapae no account photos no sound/video Pleurodema kriegi no account photos no sound/video Pleurodema marmoratum account photos no sound/video Pleurodema nebulosum no account no photos no sound/video Pleurodema somuncurense no account no photos no sound/video Pleurodema thaul account photos no sound/video Pleurodema tucumanum no account photos no sound/video
Genus Pseudopaludicola (27 species) [subfamily Leiuperinae]
Subfamily Leptodactylinae (108 species)Genus Adenomera (22 species) [subfamily Leptodactylinae]
Genus Hydrolaetare (3 species) [subfamily Leptodactylinae]
Hydrolaetare caparu no account photos no sound/video Hydrolaetare dantasi no account no photos no sound/video Hydrolaetare schmidti no account photos no sound/video
Genus Leptodactylus (82 species) [subfamily Leptodactylinae]
Genus Lithodytes (1 species) [subfamily Leptodactylinae]
Lithodytes lineatus account photos sound/video
Subfamily Paratelmatobiinae (15 species)Genus Crossodactylodes (5 species) [subfamily Paratelmatobiinae]
Crossodactylodes bokermanni no account no photos no sound/video Crossodactylodes itambe no account no photos no sound/video Crossodactylodes izecksohni no account no photos no sound/video Crossodactylodes pintoi no account no photos no sound/video Crossodactylodes septentrionalis no account photos no sound/video
Genus Paratelmatobius (8 species) [subfamily Paratelmatobiinae]
Paratelmatobius cardosoi account photos no sound/video Paratelmatobius gaigeae account no photos sound/video Paratelmatobius lutzii account photos no sound/video Paratelmatobius mantiqueira account no photos no sound/video Paratelmatobius pictiventris no account no photos no sound/video Paratelmatobius poecilogaster account photos no sound/video Paratelmatobius segallai no account no photos no sound/video Paratelmatobius yepiranga no account no photos no sound/video
Genus Rupirana (1 species) [subfamily Paratelmatobiinae]
Rupirana cardosoi no account photos no sound/video
Genus Scythrophrys (1 species) [subfamily Paratelmatobiinae]
Scythrophrys sawayae no account photos no sound/video
Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: https://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed:AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use.