Megophryidae |  |
225 species in 6 genera
Commonly Called Asian Horned Frogs, Asian Toads, Asian Toadfrogs, Leaf Litter Frogs
Megophrys (Xenophrys) major
Photo by Nikolai Orlov
(Click for family gallery)These are the largest, most ecologically and morphologically diverse group of non-neobatrachian frogs in South and Southeast Asia, extending through India, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, Borneo, Philippines, and Sunda Islands. The Megophryidae are generally cryptic frogs, often mimicking dead leaves on the forest floor. For example, Megophrys nasuta, when viewed dorsally, resembles a leaf with its coloration, overall shape, and even leaf-vein looking epidermal growths! These frogs are nocturnal and are poor jumpers, instead preferring to walk around. Tadpoles are aquatic and vary widely in natural history with many buccal adaptations. Megophryids have highly glandular skin with concentrations of glands in the axilla, pectoral and femoral areas.
Notably in 2018, Mahony et al. compiled and analyzed a molecular, morphological, and timetree dated phylogeny for the subfamily Megophryninae, in which they proposed it is comprised of the single genus Megophrys with support for seven subgenera: Megophrys, Atympanophrys, Brachytarsophrys, Ophryophryne, Panophrys, Pelobatrachus, and Xenophrys.
Written by AmphibiaWebNotable Family Characteristics
- Inhabits forest floors or streamsides
- Terrestrial
- Nocturnal
- Eggs are deposited in water to hatch into aquatic tadpoles
- Morphological characters for this family are: 1) ceratohyals absent in adults; 2) intervertebral cartilages with ossified centers; 3) paddle-shaped tongue; 4) pectoral girdle arciferal with long bony sternum; 5) sacral diapophyses expanded antero-posteriorly; 6) palatines absent, with a palatal process of maxilla instead present in this area. Other features include highly glandular skin with concentrations of glands in the axilla, pectoral and femoral areas
- Distribution limited to South and Southeast Asia, extending through India, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, Borneo, Philippines, and Sunda Islands.
Relevant Reference
Chen et al 2018 Large-scale phylogenetic analyses provide insights into unrecognized diversity and historical biogeography of Asian leaf-litter frogs, genus Leptolalax (Anura: Megophryidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 124: 162-171.
Mahony, S, R G. Kamei, E C. Teeling, and S. D. Biju. 2018. Cryptic diversity within the Megophrys major species group (Amphibia: Megophryidae) of the Asian Horned Frogs: Phylogenetic perspectives and a taxonomic revision of South Asian taxa, with descriptions of four new species. Zootaxa, 4523.1 (2018): 1–96
Mahony, S., N. M. Foley, S. D. Biju, and E. C. Teeling. 2017. Evolutionary history of the Asian Horned Frogs (Megophryinae): Integrative approaches to timetree dating in the absence of a fossil record. Molecular Biology and Evolution 34: 744-771.
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.
Genus Leptobrachella (67 species)
Leptobrachella alpina no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella applebyi AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella arayai no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella ardens no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella baluensis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella bidoupensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella botsfordi no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella bourreti no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella brevicrus no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella crocea no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella dringi no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella firthi no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella fritinniens no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella fuliginosa no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella gracilis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella hamidi no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella heteropus no AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video Leptobrachella juliandringi no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella kajangensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella kalonensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella kecil no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella khasiorum no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella lateralis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella laui no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella liui no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella maculosa no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella marmorata no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella maura no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella melanoleuca no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella melica no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella mjobergi no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella nahangensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella natunae no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella oshanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella pallida AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella palmata no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella parva no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella pelodytoides no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella picta no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella platycephala no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella pluvialis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella pyrrhops no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella sabahmontana no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella serasanae AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella sola no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella sungi AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella tadungensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella tamdil no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella tengchongensis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella tuberosa no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella ventripunctata no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachella wuhuangmontis AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella yunkaiensis AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella zhangyapingi no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella bondangensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella fusca no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella macrops no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella petrops no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella purpura no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella rowleyae no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella shangsiensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella yingjiangensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella (Lalos) aerea no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella (Lalos) eos no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella (Lalos) maoershanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella (Lalos) minima no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachella (Lalos) nyx no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Leptobrachium (36 species)
Leptobrachium abbotti AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium ailaonicum no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium banae no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium bompu AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium boringii no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium buchardi no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium chapaense no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium guangxiense no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium gunungense no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium hainanense no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium hasseltii AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium hendricksoni AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video Leptobrachium huashen no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium ingeri no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium kanowitense no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium kantonishikawai no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium leishanense no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium leucops no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium liui no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium lumadorum no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium mangyanorum no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium montanum AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium mouhoti no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium ngoclinhense no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium nigrops no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium nokrekensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium promustache no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium pullum no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium rakhinense no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium smithi no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium tagbanorum no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium tengchongense no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium waysepuntiense AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Leptobrachium xanthops no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium xanthospilum no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Leptobrachium tenasserimense no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Leptolalax (1 species)
Leptolalax mangshanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Megophrys (80 species)
Megophrys (Atympanophrys) gigantica no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Atympanophrys) nankiangensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Atympanophrys) shapingensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Brachytarsophrys) carinense no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Brachytarsophrys) chuannanensis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Brachytarsophrys) feae no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Brachytarsophrys) intermedia no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Brachytarsophrys) popei no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Megophrys) montana AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Megophrys) parallela no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Ophryophryne) gerti no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Ophryophryne) hansi no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Ophryophryne) koui no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Ophryophryne) microstoma no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Ophryophryne) synoria no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) acuta no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) baolongensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) binchuanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) binlingensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) boettgeri no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) brachykolos no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) caudoprocta no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) cheni no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) daweimontis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) huangshanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) insularis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) jingdongensis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) jinggangensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) kuatunensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) latidactyla no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) liboensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) lini no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) minor no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) obesa no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) ombrophila no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) omeimontis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) palpebralespinosa no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) rubrimera no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) sangzhiensis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) shuichengensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) spinata no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) tuberogranulatus AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) wawuensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) wuliangshanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Panophrys) wushanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Pelobatrachus) baluensis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Pelobatrachus) edwardinae no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Pelobatrachus) kobayashii no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Pelobatrachus) ligayae AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Pelobatrachus) nasuta no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Pelobatrachus) stejnegeri no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) aceras no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) ancrae no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) auralensis AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) damrei no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) dringi no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) fansipanensis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) feii no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) flavipunctata no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) glandulosa no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) himalayana no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) hoanglienensis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) lekaguli no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) longipes no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) major no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) mangshanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) medogensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) megacephala no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) monticola no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) oreocrypta no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) oropedion no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) pachyproctus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) parva no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) periosa no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) robusta no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) serchhipii no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) takensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) vegrandis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) zhangi no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Megophrys (Xenophrys) zunhebotoensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Oreolalax (18 species)
Genus Scutiger (23 species)
Scutiger adungensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger bhutanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger boulengeri no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Scutiger brevipes no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger chintingensis AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger glandulatus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger gongshanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger jiulongensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger liupanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger maculatus AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger mammatus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger muliensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger nepalensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger ningshanensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger nyingchiensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger pingwuensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger sikimmensis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Scutiger spinosus no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Scutiger tuberculatus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger wanglangensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Scutiger wuguanfui no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Scutiger occidentalis no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Scutiger tengchongensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
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