Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus SmiliscaDuellman, William Edward
Science
Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca
Duellman, William Edward
Amphibians -- Central America; Frogs; Smilisca
The tadpoles live in shallow parts of the streams, where they cling to
the surfaces of small rocks and hide beneath leaves and rocks. A
complete developmental series of tadpoles is not available; measurements
of those stages examined are summarized in Table 12.
A typical tadpole in stage 36 of development (KU 68475 from 15 km. WSW
of San Isidro el General, Costa Rica) has a body length of 11.7 mm.,
tail length of 22.8 mm., and a total length of 34.5 mm.; body about
three-fourths as deep as wide; snout broadly rounded in dorsal view,
sloping and rounded in lateral view; eyes widely separated, directed
dorsolaterally; nostril slightly closer to eye than to tip of snout;
mouth ventral; spiracle sinistral, about two-thirds distance from snout
to posterior end of body and slightly below midline; anal tube dextral;
caudal musculature heavy, straight; dorsal fin not extending onto body;
fins deepest at about mid-length of tail; there depth of caudal
musculature equal to depth of dorsal fin and half again as deep as
ventral fin; musculature extending nearly to tip of tail; body reddish
brown above and pale grayish brown with white flecks below; caudal
musculature pale tan with brown flecks; a series of reddish brown dashes
at base of caudal fin separated from others in series and from dashes on
other side by creamy white; fins transparent with reddish brown flecks
on posterior one-half of ventral fin and on all of dorsal fin (Fig.
14C). Mouth bordered by two rows of short, pointed papillae; lateral
fold present; tooth-rows 2/3; upper rows equal in length; second upper
row narrowly interrupted medially; three lower rows complete, nearly as
long as upper rows, deeply indented medially; upper beak robust, inner
surface not forming continuous arch with short lateral processes; lower
beak deep, V-shaped; both beaks bearing short serrations (Fig. 15F).
Little variation occurs in structure. In some specimens the second upper
tooth-row is complete; no individuals were found to have the row broadly
interrupted medially.
The series of dark dashes on the dorsal edge of the caudal musculature
is diagnostic of all stages studied. In life, tadpoles from 15 and 20
kilometers west-southwest of San Isidro el General, Costa Rica, had a
tan body, often with an olive-tan tinge; the caudal musculature was
tan; the flecks and dashes were dull red or reddish brown. Tadpoles from
6 kilometers east of Golfito, Costa Rica, had bodies with olive-green
flecks. The caudal musculature was brown with bluish green flecks; the
fins were transparent with reddish brown flecks. The belly was a silvery
golden color. Tadpoles from Bajos de Jorco, Costa Rica, had brown bodies
with bluish green flecks; the tail and fins had reddish brown flecks and
dashes. The iris was a bronze color in specimens from all three
localities, as well as in the young mentioned in the following
paragraph.
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