Tukeit Hill Frog
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| Allophryne ruthveni Gaige, 1926 | ||||||||||||||||
| Image:Allophryne ruthveni range.PNG Distribution Allophrynidae (in black)
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The Tukeit Hill Frog (Allophryne ruthveni) is the only species in the genus Allophryne and the family Allophrynidae of the order Anura. These frogs live in Guyana, Venezuela, Surinam, Brazil and Bolivia. The holotype was discovered at Tukeit Hill, below Kaieteur Falls, Guyana, hence the common English name.
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[edit] Physical description
The Tukeit Hill Frog is a small frog. It is of variable colouration, either black, with stripes and spots which can be golden or dull yellow, or a dull yellow or golden ventral surface, with black strips and spots. It has a flat body, and small flat head. It has a single, sub-mandibular vocal sac. The toe pads are enlarged, wider than the fingers, and the tympanum is visible. The Tukeit Hill Frog is superficially similar to the tree frogs, however the end of their phalanges differ in shape (see below Taxonomic classification).
[edit] Taxonomic classification
Allophryne, the Tukeit Hill Frog, is part of a monotypic family of anurans: Allophrynidae. The evolutionary relationships of this species have always been controversial. It has been joint to families like Hylidae, Bufonidae, and Leptodactylidae, but until recently its closer relatives where unknown.
Allophryne is similar in its general shape to tree frogs of the family Hylidae, but Allophryne differs by having the last phalanges of fingers and toes T-shaped, while the Hylidae have them claws-shaped. Even though Allophryne has several morphological similarities with the tree frogs, recent phylogenetic studies have found that the family Allophrynidae is the sister taxon of the family Centrolenidae (the Glassfrogs). Both, the Centrolenidae and Allophrynidae, are closely related to the Leptodactylidae. The Centrolenidae differ from Allophryne by having much delicate skulls, having intercalary elements between the last phalanges of fingers, a process on the third metacarpal, and non-explosive breeding, among other characteristics.
[edit] Ecology and behaviour
The Tukeit Hill Frog is semi-arboreal, spending some times low in the trees, 1-3 metres, and some of the time on the ground. They are explosive breeders, taking advantage of small water ponds formed on the forest floor after periods of rain. This frog habits sparse forest, and may be restricted to forested areas, avoiding cleared land.
[edit] References
- La Marca & Azevedo-Ramos (2004). Allophryne ruthveni. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
- Allophryne ruthveni. Retrieved on 2006-05-19.
- Cogger, H.G., R.G. Zweifel, and D. Kirschner (2004). Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians Second Edition. Fog City Press. ISBN 1-877019-69-0.
- InfoNatura - Detailed Report. Retrieved on 2006-05-20.
- Frost D.R., Grant, T., Faivovich, J., Bain, R.H., Haas, A., Haddad, C.F.B., de Sa, 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. & Wheeler, W.C. (2006) The Amphibian Tree of Life. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 297, 1–370. (PDF available by clicking here
