AMPHIBIAWEB

Telmatobiidae

62 species in 1 genus

Commonly Called Water Frogs


Telmatobius ventriflavum
Photo by Alessandro Catenazzi
(Click for family gallery)

Formerly a subfamily of Ceratophryidae, molecular evidence supports a monotypic family of medium to large, flattened frogs, many species with loose skin, which hangs in folds especially in aquatic species allowing greater surface area for cutaneous respiration. The Lake Titicaca Frog, Telmatobius culeus, is well known for its prominent skin folds and is completely aquatic.

Written by AmphibiaWeb

Notable Family Characteristics

  • Medium to large in size, up to 140 mm
  • Many species are aquatic, some semi-terrestrial
  • Morphological characters include: flattened head; non-coossified skin on skull; recurved fang-like teeth on maxilla, premaxilla and vomer; cartilaginous sternum; knobbed terminal phalanges
  • Axillary amplexus
  • Distribution limited to South America, mainly the Andean region

Relevant Reference

Pyron, R. A., and J. J. Wiens. 2011. A large-scale phylogeny of Amphibia including over 2800 species, and a revised classification of advanced frogs, salamanders, and caecilians. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 61: 543–583.

Vitt, L. J., and J. P. Caldwell. 2013. Herpetology. An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. Fourth Edition. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Genus Telmatobius (62 species)
Telmatobius arequipensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius atacamensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius atahualpai AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius bolivianus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius brachydactylus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius brevipes no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius brevirostris no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius carrillae no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius ceiorum no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius chusmisensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius cirrhacelis AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius colanensis AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius contrerasi no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius culeus AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius dankoi no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius degener AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius edaphonastes no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius espadai no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius fronteriensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius gigas AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius halli no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius hauthali no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius hintoni no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius hockingi no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius huayra no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius hypselocephalus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius ignavus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius intermedius no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius jelskii no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius laevis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius laticeps no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius latirostris no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius macrostomus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius marmoratus no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius mayoloi no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius mendelsoni no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius necopinus AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius niger no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius oxycephalus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius pefauri no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius peruvianus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius philippii no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius pinguiculus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius pisanoi no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius platycephalus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius punctatus no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius rimac no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius rubigo no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius sanborni no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius schreiteri no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius scrocchii no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius sibiricus no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius simonsi no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius stephani no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius thompsoni AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius timens no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius truebae AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius vellardi no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius ventriflavum AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius verrucosus no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Telmatobius vilamensis no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Telmatobius yuracare no AmphibiaWeb 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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