Asterophrys

Asterophrys
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Subfamily: Asterophryinae
Genus: Asterophrys
Tschudi, 1838
Type species
Ceratophrys turpicola
Schlegel, 1837
Diversity
2 species (see text)

Asterophrys is a small genus of microhylid frogs with only two species from New Guinea. Their common name is New Guinea bush frogs, although this name may also specifically refer to Asterophrys turpicola.[1] It sister taxon has been suggested to be either Metamagnusia or Metamagnusia slateri.[2]

Asterophrys are moderate to large-sized microhylid frogs, with the larger Asterophrys turpicola measuring up to 65 mm (2.6 in) in snout–vent length. A distinctive feature of these frogs is their extremely broad head, almost half of snout–vent length. While both are New Guinean species, A. leucopus is more a mountain species than A. turpicola. The latter is known for its aggressiveness (it may even bite), whereas A. leucopus is more docile.[3]

Species

There are two species:[1]

Binomial Name and AuthorCommon Name
Asterophrys leucopus Richards, Johnston & Burton, 1994
Asterophrys turpicola (Schlegel, 1837) New Guinea bush frog

A third, undescribed species may exist in Papua, western New Guinea.[3]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Asterophrys Tschudi, 1838". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Metamagnusia Günther, 2009". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Richards, S. J., G. R. Johnston, and T. C. Burton (1994). "A remarkable new asterophryine microhylid frog from the mountains of New Guinea". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 37: 281–286.