A Synopsis of Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus OsteocephalusDuellman, William Edward
Science
A Synopsis of Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Osteocephalus
Duellman, William Edward
Frogs -- Ecuador; Osteocephalus
Throughout the rainy months that we have worked in Ecuador
(April-August) we have found occasional individuals perched on bushes or
low trees at night. Large numbers of adults were observed only during a
clearing operation which resulted in the felling of many large trees.
Thus, it seems likely that _leprieurii_ is a tree-top inhabitant. A
partially digested adult male was removed from the stomach of a
_Hemiphractus proboscideus_.
At Santa Cecilia many recently metamorphosed young and juveniles were
found in June and July 1968. Most of these were on low bushes or herbs
in swamp forest at night; some were found in unfolded _Heliconia_ leaves
by day, and one was observed on the forest floor by day. Snout-vent
lengths of 18 specimens are 12.3-17.0 (mean 15.1) mm. The smaller frogs
were recently metamorphosed as evidenced by the melanophore deposits
above the vent. The coloration of the young is strikingly different from
that of the adults (see account of _O. leprieurii_), so the association
of the young and adults was not made until individuals with intermediate
patterns were obtained at Lago Agrio in May 1969. Probably juveniles
obtained in June and July are the offspring of an April or May breeding.
We have been unable to associate tadpoles with this species.
_Osteocephalus taurinus._--A small chorus occurred at Lago Agrio on 12
May 1969. Males were calling from the ground adjacent to a small pool
amidst recently felled trees. The males were very wary and, when
approached, jumped onto limbs and ran up branches; this behavior was
noted by Bokermann (1964). The call consists of a series of low-pitched,
short notes--like a slow trill--four to six notes per call group. Call
groups are repeated two, three, or four times followed by a lapse of
several minutes. Although no amplectant pairs were found, several gravid
females were collected at Lago Agrio in May, so it can be safely assumed
that the species breeds in May. From April through July occasional
individuals were observed on bushes and trees at night. During clearing
operations at Lago Agrio several individuals were obtained from the tops
of trees as they were felled.
_Osteocephalus verrucigerus._--Observations were made in a broad,
shallow ravine, in which there was a small stream. On 2-4 August 1968,
males were observed calling from low bushes and rocks at the edge of a
quiet pool in the stream. The call consists of a series of well-pulsed,
low-pitched, guttural notes produced at the rate of 5-10 per minute. One
amplectant pair was found at the base of a bush adjacent to the pool on
3 August. Another female was found on a branch of a tree 2 m above the
ground and 10 m from the stream. Tadpoles of this species were found in
the quiet silt-bottomed pool.
SPECIMENS EXAMINED
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