Abstract

Adult Leptodactylus cunicularius are moderately small. The head is longer than wide and the hind limbs are long (Table 1; Heyer and Thompson 2000 provided definitions of adult size and leg length categories for Leptodactylus). Male vocal sacs are internal, not externally expanded. The snout is protruding, not sexually dimorphic. Male forearms are not hypertrophied and males lack asperities on the thumbs and chest. The dorsum is variegated with small, often confluent, spots and blotches. There is a very thin interrupted mid-dorsal light stripe (pinstripe). Usually, there is a noticeable light, irregular, elongate, mid-dorsal blotch in the scapular region. The supratympanic fold is not marked differently from the surrounding region. A weak to distinct pair of interrupted (partial or along entire length) dorsolateral folds extends from the posterior portion of the eye, passing just lateral to the sacral bones and ending in the upper groin region of the leg; the folds are usually subtly highlighted with marginally lighter stripes than the surrounding dorsal region. Another pair of interrupted, irregular dorsal folds may or may not be visible on either side of the dorsum mid-line. A pair of interrupted (along entire length) lateral folds extends from the posterior dorsal portion of the tympanic fold to the mid-groin level at the leg juncture; the folds are usually slightly lighter in color than the adjacent flanks. The toe tips are rounded, not dilated. The toes lack lateral ridges or fringes and either lack or have a trace of basal webbing between toes II-III-IV. The dorsal surface of the shank lacks tubercles and has weakly developed longitudinal folds, not differentially patterned. The posterior surface of the tarsus lacks tubercles. The sole of the foot is smooth but with small irregular light spots of the same size as light tubercles found in other species. The upper lip usually has a distinct light cream or tan stripe from just behind the snout tip, passing under the eye and tympanum and continuing through the commissural gland; if lacking, the upper lip region is homogeneously colored. The belly is cream-colored, with or without a few small tan blotches on the lateral-most extent of the belly. The posterior surface of the thigh ranges from an indistinct to a labyrinthine pattern of darker and lighter browns; usually there are a series of light dots on the lower posterior thigh where light stripes occur in other species.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-15-2010

Publisher Statement

Copyright © 2008 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. This article first appeared in Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles, April 20, 2008, 868.1-68.9.

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