Although the type locality is stated to be Santa Efigenia on the
Pacific slopes of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in eastern Oaxaca, the
type specimen probably came from the northern slopes of the mountains.
All other known specimens are from the Gulf slopes and lowlands, and
from several localities in Los Tuxtlas. Details concerning specimens
from the isthmus and other parts of the range were given by Duellman
(1958c:8).
Smith (1947:408) reported a specimen of _Syrrhophus verruculatus_
Peters from San Lorenzo, Veracruz; he stated that this specimen (USNM
123530) could not be _S. leprus_, because it had a gray belly, nor _S.
cystignathoides_, because of the dark and light dorsal coloration.
Firschein (1954:57) in his review of the species of _Syrrhophus_ in
eastern Mexico referred the specimen to _S. cystignathoides_. The
specimen is in poor condition. Nevertheless, specific determination is
possible. Numerous specimens of _S. leprus_ from Los Tuxtlas have gray
bellies; some have heavier pigmentation than the specimen from San
Lorenzo. In preservative the dorsum is dark brown with lighter
mottling. There is little doubt that the specimen from San Lorenzo is
a _Syrrhophus leprus_, an abundant and widespread species in the
humid Gulf lowlands of southern Mexico, and not _verruculatus_, if
this is a valid species (see Firschein, _op. cit._:58), and not
_cystignathoides_, a species known from San Luis Potosi southward to
central Veracruz.
=Syrrhophus pipilans pipilans= Taylor
_Oaxaca_: Cerro Arenal; Cerro San Pedro; 6 km. N of Chivela;
14 km. W of Tehuantepec (2).
In the isthmian region this frog is known only from the Pacific slopes
and the Plains of Tehuantepec. Males call from the ground and from
trees to heights of about four meters. The call is a single, high, long
"peep."
=Engystomops pustulosus= Cope
_Oaxaca_: Chivela; La Ventosa (3); Santo Domingo;
Tapanatepec (14); Tehuantepec (61); Union Hidalgo (62).
_Veracruz_: Acayucan; Cuatotolapam (7); 10 km. SE of
Hueyapan (11).
Large congregations were breeding at Tehuantepec on July 5, at
Tapanatepec on July 13, and at Hueyapan on July 24, 1956. The frogs
were breeding in open ponds in scrub forest and savanna; none was found
in the rainforest. Males call while floating on the water (Pl. 7, fig.
1); the call is a soft "do-ing, do-ing" with a rising tone on the last
note. Numerous individual egg masses were along the bank of a pond near
Tehuantepec; one large composite egg mass there had a surface area of
about one square meter (Pl. 7, fig. 2). The large series from Union
Hidalgo was obtained by digging specimens out of a dry sandy river bank
in the dry season. Some of the individuals were buried to a depth of 25
centimeters.
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