Arthroleptidae

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Arthroleptidae

Scotobleps gabonicus

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Arthroleptidae Mivart, 1869

Genera

See text

Arthroleptidae is a family of order Anura found in Sub-Saharan Africa. These frogs are also known as squeakers because of their high-pitched call. They are small, less than 4 centimetres in length, terrestrial frogs found mostly in leaf litter on the forest floor. They completely bypass any aquatic stage. The eggs are laid on the ground, in crevices or in leaf litter, and the offspring undergo direct development. Sometimes the hatched frogs will be completely metamorphosed into frogs, while other times they will still have tails.

This family contains a unique frog, the Hairy Frog (Trichobatrachus robustus). Breeding male Hairy Frogs develop highly vascularised, hair-like projections on their things and flanks. They will sit on their eggs for long periods of time, and it is thought that the hairs assist in respiration through the skin, while they cannot use their lungs in the water.

[edit] Taxonomy

Arthroleptidae is separated into two sub-families: Astylosterninae and Arthroleptinae. Some consider these to be separate families ^[1].

The Arthroleptinae sub-family consists of the following genera:

Arthroleptis (Smith, 1849)
Long-Fingered Frogs, Cardioglossa (Boulenger, 1900)
Schoutedenella (Witte, 1921)

The Astylosterninae sub-family consists of the following genera:

Astylosternus (Werner, 1898)
Leptodactylodon (Andersson, 1903)
Nyctibates (Boulenger, 1904)
Scotobleps (Boulenger, 1900)
Trichobatrachus (Boulenger, 1900)

[edit] Notes

^ *Amphibian Species of the World - Arthroleptidae Mivart, 1869

[edit] References

ADW: Arthroleptidae: Information
Cogger, H.G.; R.G. Zweifel, and D. Kirschner (2004). Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians Second Edition. Fog City Press. ISBN 1-877019-69-0.