Petropedetinae

Petropedetinae are a subfamily of frogs. They are placed in the true frog family (Ranidae) by many authors. But this is quite disputed and at least part of this group is often treated as a distinct family Petropedetidae, in which case the Cacosterninae and Phrynobatrachinae are usually separated as subfamilies or even distinct families Cacosternidae and Phrynobatrachidae^[1]. Most members of this subfamily are in the genus Phrynobatrachus. These frogs are essentially limited to sub-Saharan Africa, with the highest diversity - and as it seems their evolutionary origin - in the very south of the continent.

This group of frogs is made up from the following genera, about half of which is monotypic:

• Anhydrophryne – Hogsback Frog (1 species)
• Arthroleptella – moss frogs (8 species)
• Arthroleptides – African torrent frogs (3 species)
• Cacosternum – cacos (10 species)
• Dimorphognathus (1 species)
• Ericabatrachus (1 species)
• Microbatrachella – Micro Frog (1 species)
• Natalobatrachus (1 species)
• Nothophryne (1 species)
• Petropedetes (7 species)
• Phrynobatrachus – dwarf puddle frogs or African puddle frogs (70+ species)
• Phrynodon (1 species)
• Poyntonia (1 species)

Footnotes

References

• Frost, Darrel R. (2006): Amphibian Species of the World Version 3 - Petropedetidae Noble, 1931. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Retrieved 2006-AUG-05.