The Systematics of the Frogs of the Hyla Rubra Group in Middle AmericaLeón, Juan R.
Science
The Systematics of the Frogs of the Hyla Rubra Group in Middle America
León, Juan R.
Frogs -- Central America; Hyla rubra
The bony part of the proötic is separated dorsally from the squamosal
by the cartilaginous crista parotica. The squamosal is small, its
anterior arm slender and pointed. The posterior arm of the squamosal is
pointed terminally and articulates with the proötic medially.
The prevomer is large and elongate. Anteriorly the prevomer is
connected to the maxillary-premaxillary articulation; posteriorly, the
prevomer is separated from the sphenethmoid by cartilage. Each prevomer
bears six to nine teeth. The palatine is present and edentate. The
anterior end of the parasphenoid is broad (less pointed than in _Hyla
foliamorta_). The pterygoid is slender and well developed.
_Natural History._--_Hyla boulengeri_ inhabits humid lowland tropical
forests and breeds in temporary ponds. Clasping pairs and gravid
females were observed at Puerto Viejo, Heredia Province, Costa Rica, on
June 21, 1966. Males were calling from depressions in decaying logs and
stumps, in forked stems, and from leaves of broad-leafed plants near
the pond. Males were observed in late July and early August calling
from _Calathea_ and _Heliconia_ leaves at the edge of a pond in the wet
forest of the Osa Peninsula. William E. Duellman informed me that he
collected calling males in January at El Real, Darién, and in March at
Almirante, Bocas del Toro, Panamá. Taylor (1952) found calling males in
June at Turrialba, Cartago Province, Costa Rica, and Dunn (1931a)
observed males calling in July, November, and December in Panamá.
Gravid females have been found from April to August. Breeding
activities of _Hyla boulengeri_ always seem to be associated with
temporary ponds; in Central America breeding apparently takes place
throughout most of the year.
The mating call of _Hyla boulengeri_ consists of one short, moderately
low-pitched note. Each note has a duration of 0.24 to 0.47 second and
is repeated at intervals of one second to several minutes. The notes
have 80 to 120 pulses per second, a fundamental frequency of about 70
cycles per second, and a dominant frequency of 2,840 cycles per second
(Table 2, Pl. 3A).
The eggs are deposited in a mass in the water. No information is
available concerning early development. Tadpoles in advanced stages of
development were found in a temporary pond at Rincón de Osa, Puntarenas
Province, Costa Rica. The pond was about 10 cm. deep, had a muddy
bottom and lacked vegetation. Three recently metamorphosed young were
found in mid-August, 1966, on grass at the edge of another temporary
pond in the forest.
_Tadpoles_--Twelve tadpoles are available. These were collected at
Rincón de Osa, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. The maximum size
represented is 34.0 mm., total length (stage 42 of development).
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