A Review of the Middle American Tree Frogs of the Genus PtychohylaDuellman, William Edward
Science
A Review of the Middle American Tree Frogs of the Genus Ptychohyla
Duellman, William Edward
Amphibians -- Central America; Amphibians -- Mexico; Ptychohyla
Ventrolateral glands moderately
developed, not reaching axilla or groin and broadly separated
midventrally. Tongue ovoid, emarginate, and only slightly free
posteriorly; vomerine teeth 2-2, situated on small triangular
elevations between ovoid inner nares; openings to vocal sac large, one
situated along inner posterior edge of each mandibular ramus.
Dorsal ground-color of head, body, and limbs dull reddish brown with
irregular dark brown reticulations on head and body and dark brown
transverse bands on limbs; dorsal surfaces of first and second fingers
and webbing on hand cream color; dorsal surfaces of third and fourth
fingers dull brown; anterior surfaces of thighs dull creamy yellow;
posterior surfaces of thighs dull brown; tarsi and toes tan with brown
flecks; webbing of feet brown; faint creamy white stripe along lateral
edges of tarsi and forearms; thin white line along edge of upper lip;
distinct white stripe above and beside anal opening; axilla white;
throat, chest, belly, and ventral surfaces of forelimbs creamy white;
flanks white, separated from pale venter by a row of partly connected
dark brown spots; ventral surfaces of thighs dull creamy yellow; feet
grayish brown; ventrolateral glands pale grayish brown; small brown
flecks on periphery of chin.
In life the dorsal ground-color was pale reddish brown
(Orange-Cinnamon); dorsal reticulations dark brown (Chocolate); dorsal
surfaces of first and second fingers and webbing on hands creamy tan
(Light Pinkish Cinnamon); posterior surfaces of thighs reddish brown
(Vinaceous-Tawny); webbing of feet gray (Deep Mouse Gray); throat and
belly grayish white (Pale Gull Gray); ventral surfaces of hind limbs
creamy white (Marguerite Yellow); spots on flanks dark brown (Warm
Sepia); iris reddish bronze (Apricot Orange).
_Variation._--No geographic variation in structural characters is
discernible; variation in size and proportions is given in Table 1. Of
32 adults examined, seven have the tongue shallowly notched
posteriorly; in the others the tongue is emarginate. Twenty specimens
have a bifid subarticular tubercle beneath the fourth finger; in the
others there are no bifid tubercles.
The coloration described above is typical of the 16 specimens
available from Finca La Paz. The living coloration at night, when the
frogs were collected, was somewhat darker than the living colors
described above, which were recorded for the frogs the morning after
collection, at which time one individual had a pale reddish brown
dorsum (Orange-Cinnamon) with dull olive green (Deep Grape Green)
reticulations on the back and transverse bands on the limbs; the
dorsal surfaces of the first and second fingers and the discs on the
third and fourth fingers were orange (Mikado Orange).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account