Gastrophryne elegans
| Gastrophryne elegans | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Microhylidae |
| Genus: | Gastrophryne |
| Species: | G. elegans |
| Binomial name | |
| Gastrophryne elegans (Boulenger, 1882) | |
Gastrophryne elegans, the elegant narrow-mouthed toad, is a species of frog in the Microhylidae family. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, intermittent freshwater marshes, plantations, rural gardens, and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Description
Gastrophryne elegans has a small triangular-shaped head and is flattened dorso-ventrally. The females have a snout to vent length of about 27 mm (1.06 in) while the males are slightly smaller. The colouring is somewhat variable and helps to camouflage this frog among the leaf litter. The dorsal surface has a broad dark brown central stripe which widens and narrows irregularly and which is delineated with a narrow dark line. On either side of this is a reddish-brown area and then a dark brown line that runs from the tip of the snout, past the eye over the shoulder to the groin. The thighs have two dark bands and there are further lines on the lower leg which align when the animal is crouched. The ventral surface is dark brown or black mostly obscured by indistinct whitish spots which merge. The hind feet each have a tubercle on the metatarsal and slight webbing on the fourth toe. The outer toes have flattened, spreading tips.[2]
Distribution and habitat
Gastrophryne elegans is native to lowland Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras on the Atlantic side of the continent. Its range extends from north-central coastal areas of Honduras to central Veracruz. There is an isolated population in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on the Yucatán Peninsula. This species is found in tropical forests where it lives on the ground among the leaf litter. It breeds in the rainy season in temporary pools.[1]
Status
The IUCN rates Gastrophryne elegans as being of "Least Concern". This is because of its large population, wide distribution and tolerance of modifications to its habitat. Its population seems relatively stable and any decline is unlikely to be fast enough to justify listing it in a more threatened category. It is protected by legislation in Mexico under the "Special Protection" category.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Georgina Santos-Barrera, Manuel Acevedo, Paul Walker, Julian Lee, Larry David Wilson (2004). "Gastrophryne elegans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
- ↑ Franziska Sandmeier (2013-05-11). "Ambystoma rosaceum". AmphibiaWeb. Retrieved 2013-12-10.