Saddleback toad

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Saddleback toads
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Amphibia Order: Anura Suborder: Neobatrachia Family: Brachycephalidae Günther, 1858 Genus: Brachycephalus Fitzinger, 1826
Distribution of Brachycephalidae (in black)
Species
Brachycephalus alipioi Brachycephalus didactylus Brachycephalus ephippium Brachycephalus ferruginus Brachycephalus hermogenesi Brachycephalus nodoterga Brachycephalus pernix Brachycephalus pombali Brachycephalus vertebralis

The saddleback toads are a family (Brachycephalidae) in the order Anura. The family consist of just one genus, Brachycephalus, which consists of nine species. These frogs are native to southeastern Brazil.

The saddleback toads are very small frogs, mostly around 1 centimetre in length, and include the smallest frog in the Southern Hemisphere, Izecksohn's Toad (Brachycephalus didactylus). They have only three toes on each foot, and two fingers on each hand. This is in contrast to the usual five toes and four fingers of most frogs.

The saddleback toads are diurnal, and habit leaf litter on forest floors. The eggs undergo direct development, in which they bypass the tadpole stage. The eggs are laid on the ground, and covered in soil to protect from the heat and predators. Their amplexus method is unusual, in that it begins with the inguinal amplexus, which involves the male holding the female around the waste, and then shifts to axillary amplexus, in which the male grips above the females arms. Most frogs species will only use one technique.

[edit] Scientific classification

• Brachycephalus alipioi Pombal & Gasparini, 2006.
• Izecksohn’s Toad, Brachycephalus didactylus (Izecksohn, 1971).
• Spix’s Saddleback Toad, Brachycephalus ephippium (Spix, 1824).
• Brachycephalus ferruginus Alves, Ribeiro, Haddad et al., 2006.
• Brachycephalus hermogenesi (Giaretta et Sawaya, 1998).
• Serra Cantareira Saddleback Toad, Brachycephalus nodoterga Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920.
• Brachycephalus pernix Pombal, Wistuba, et Bornschein, 1998.
• Brachycephalus pombali Alves, Ribeiro, Haddad et al., 2006.
• Brachycephalus vertebralis Pombal, 2001.

v • d • e Chordata – Amphibia – Families of Anura Allophrynidae – Amphignathodontidae – Arthroleptidae – Ascaphidae – Bombinatoridae – Brachycephalidae – Bufonidae – Centrolenidae – Dendrobatidae – Discoglossidae – Heleophrynidae – Hemisotidae – Hylidae – Hyperoliidae – Leiopelmatidae – Leptodactylidae – Mantellidae – Megophryidae – Microhylidae – Myobatrachidae – Nasikabatrachidae – Pelobatidae – Pelodytidae – Pipidae – Ranidae – Rhacophoridae – Rhinodermatidae – Rhinophrynidae – Scaphiopodidae – Sooglossidae