A Review of the Middle American Tree Frogs of the Genus Ptychohyla — John Shaqi
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
_Description of Tadpole._--The following description is based on KU
60049 from Rio Hondo, 9.5 kilometers south of Pueblo Nuevo
Solistahuacan, Chiapas, Mexico (Figs. 4B and 6B). No limb buds; total
length, 36.2 mm.; body length, 11.1 mm.; body length/total length,
30.6 per cent. Body moderately depressed, slightly wider than deep,
ovoid in dorsal profile; mouth directed ventrally; eyes small,
directed dorsolaterally; nostrils slightly protuberant and directed
anteriorly, somewhat closer to eye than snout; spiracle sinistral and
posteroventrad to eye; anal tube dextral. Caudal fin low, acutely
rounded posteriorly; depth of caudal musculature slightly more than
one-half greatest depth of caudal fin; caudal musculature extending
nearly to tip of tail.
Mouth large; lips having deep lateral folds; two complete rows of
papillae on lips; five or six rows of papillae laterally. Beaks
moderately developed, bearing small peglike serrations; moderately
wide lateral projections on upper beak; tooth-rows 4/6; upper rows
subequal in length; fourth row interrupted medially; length of lower
rows 1-4 subequal to upper rows; fifth and sixth lower rows decreasing
in length; first lower row interrupted medially.
Body brown above; tip of snout cream color; venter creamy white;
caudal musculature creamy tan; caudal fin transparent; cream-colored
crescent-shaped mark on posterior edge of body and anterior part of
caudal musculature, bordered posterodorsally by dark brown blotch;
four dark brown blotches on dorsum of anterior part of caudal
musculature; scattered brown flecks on caudal musculature and fin; eye
silvery bronze in life.
_Variation._--The variation in size and proportions is given in Table
2. All specimens have 4/6 tooth-rows; in some the first lower row is
interrupted medially. Specimens from Jacaltenango and two kilometers
west of San Pedro Necta, Depto. Huehuetenango, Guatemala, have weakly
developed sixth lower tooth-rows.
The cream-colored crescent-shaped mark is distinct in all specimens;
the dorsal blotches on the anterior part of the caudal musculature are
narrow and do not extend far onto the sides of the tail. The blotches
are most distinct in small tadpoles and sometimes indistinct in large
ones.
_Comparisons._--_Ptychohyla euthysanota macrotympanum_ can be
distinguished from both _P. spinipollex_ and _P. leonhardschultzei_ by
the absence of bold black and white marbling on the flanks, as well as
by the characters given in the diagnosis; furthermore, from the former
it differs in having more and smaller horny nuptial tuberosities and
from the latter by having the snout, in lateral profile, rounded above
instead of angulate. _Ptychohyla euthysanota macrotympanum_ differs
from _P. e. euthysanota_ by normally having a paler dorsum, narrower
stripe on upper lip, and no distinct lateral stripe.
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