18 April 2008

 Mostly occur in the north temperate regions  Only 1 family occurs in the New World Tropics  Plethodontidae – the lungless salamanders  Respire through skin/mucous membranes  Mostly forest dwellers, not very aquatic  Smooth, moist skin  Four appendages, tail

 Bolitoglossa mexicana  a.k.a. “Black-and-gold salamander”  Moderately large (150 mm)  Toes fully webbed  Yellow/rust spots  Inactive during dry periods  Found in rotten logs, etc. ell/herpetology/ccampbell3.jpg

 Bolitoglossa rufescens  a.k.a. “Common dwarf salamander”  Small species (65 mm)  Digits fully webbed  Pale brown/tan  Dark brown streak behind eyes to mid-back 8x192/1111_1111/1111/5203.jpeg

 “Jumping and hopping” amphibians  Hind limbs elongate and well-developed  Males with vocal slits  External fertilization (in most anurans)  In all Belizean toads/frogs  Habitat use and appearance determine whether it is called a frog or a toad

 “True toads”  Occur in most tropical and sub-tropical areas  Usually squat-bodied  Hopping rather than jumping  Skin warty, glandular, dry to the touch  Parotoid glands behind eyes

 Bufo marinus  a.k.a. “Giant toad”  Large toad (150 mm)  Sexually dimorphic  Males reddish with spiny tubercles  Females pale grey/mottled with rounded tubercles oads/B_marinus/Bufo_marinus.jpg onservation/cane_toad.jpg

 Bufo valliceps  Moderate size (70 mm)  Large triangular parotoid glands  Skin warty, rough  Coloration variable Unit180/Images/BufoValliceps.jpg Class photo 

 Chirping, climbing, foam, leaf-litter, and stream frogs  Widespread in Americas  Large variety  Large to small  Smooth skinned to warty, toad-like  Genus Eleutherodactylus contains >500 spp.  Largest genus of tetrapods

 Eleutherodactylus laticeps  Broad-headed leaf-litter frog  Dorso-lateral glandular ridges  mm  Small toe discs  Minor webbing between toes 0Campaign%20Pack%20images/Eleutherod actylus%20cf%20suetus,%20Ranas,%20Fran cisco%20José%20López.jpg

 Eleutherodactylus chac  “Chac’s leaf-litter frog”  X or hourglass shape on back  30 mm  Variable color /0/29094_sml.jpg

 Eleutherodactylus rugulosus  “Long-legged stream frog”  50 mm  Well-developed toe pads  Interorbital bar  Found near streams

 Leptodactylus melanonotus  “Fringe-toed foamfrog”  Color highly variable  Thick glandular skin  40 mm 03Web2/7705Eleutherodactylus_sp.jpg actylidae/melanonotus/melanonotus29621_g.gif Class photo 

WHITE-LIPPED FOAMFROG  Leptodactylus labialis  Two phases (white, red) Class photos

 Physalaemus pustulosus  Extremely tuberculate skin  Resembles some toads  30 mm  Lacks toe pads  Dorsal mottling variable ology/acampbell32.jpg

 Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia…  Greatest diversity in Americas  Adaptations for arboreality  Large finger discs  Much cartilage between last 2 phalanges

 Agalychnis callidryas  Bright red iris; bright green/yellow body pattern  Widespread, abundant  60 mm  Pointed snout  Long, slender limbs  Walk, not leap  Vertical pupils Class photo

 Agalychnis moreletii  Dorsum leaf green, venter cream/yellow  Iris deep purple/black  Restricted distribution  65 mm  Slender limbs  Large toe pads  Vertical pupils A0E4-7A44373A2F12/Presentation.Large/photo.jpg

 Hyla bromeliacia  Dorsum pale brown, black flecks  Snout pointed  Skin smooth  Large toe pads  Partial webbing  30 mm

 Hyla ebraccata  “Hourglass treefrog”  30 mm  Snout truncate  Smooth skin  Forearms robust  Large toe pads  Partial webbing /06/09/hourglass-treefrog/

 Hyla loquax  “Loquacious treefrog”  Snout broadly rounded  40 mm  Toes webbed (nearly fully)  Dorsum variable with flecks  Iris reddish tan backs/photos/loqax.jpg ans/tn_MahoganyTreefrog(Hyla_loquax)1001.jpg

 Hyla microcephala  Snout somewhat pointed  25 mm  Partial webbing  Dark dorsal markings form H or X  Venter mostly white ology/acampbell24.jpg

 Hyla picta  “Painted treefrog”  Snout rounded  Toe pads small  20 mm  Yellowish with dark flecks  Stripe from snout through eye SpeciesPages/Hyla%20picta.htm

 Phrynohyas venulosa  “Milky treefrog”  90 mm  Large toe pads  Partial webbing  Pale brown with dark blotches  Chin, throat, belly white Class photo

 Scinax staufferi  25 mm  Snout pointed and protruding  Vestigial webbing  Stripe through eye  Pale brown dorsum  White, cream venter Class photo

 Smilisca baudinii  Baudin’s treefrog  65 mm  Loud, raucous call  Smooth skin  Large digital pads  Irregular dorsal splotches Class photo

 Smilisca cyanosticta  60 mm  Snout rounded  Smooth skin  Limbs long, robust  Coloring variable with environment  Time of day, temp. ology/acampbell28.jpg

 Triprion petasatus  Unusual head shape  Skin co-ossified  60 mm  Dark green with dark flecks  Transverse bars on limbs  Iris gold s/936/ JPG ology/acampbell29.jpg

 Thin, translucent skin covering the belly  Finger/toe pads  Superficially resemble treefrogs (Hylidae)  Pupil horizontal

 Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni  “Northern glassfrog”  22 mm  Iris gold  Dark melanophores on dorsum Class photos

 Campbell – Amphibians and Reptiles of Northern Guatemala, the Yucatan and Belize.  Beletsky – Travellers’ Wildlife Guides – Belize and Northern Guatemala.