Leptobrachella
| Leptobrachella | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Megophryidae |
| Genus: | Leptobrachella Smith, 1925 |
| Type species | |
| Leptobrachella mjöbergi Smith, 1925 | |
| Diversity | |
| 9 species (see text) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Nesobia Kampen, 1923 — junior homonym of Nesobia Ancey, 1887 | |
Leptobrachella is a genus of the family Megophryidae in the order Anura, and are found on Borneo and Natuna Islands. They are sometimes referred to as Borneo frogs, slender-armed frogs,[1] or dwarf litter frogs.[2][3]
Description
Leptobrachella are small frogs that are not easily seen as they are well camouflaged on the ground. However, their advertisement call is loud, and they can be abundant along streams.[3]
The tadpoles of Leptobrachella are unusual in their vermiform or eel-like appearance. The transition from the narrow, cylindrical trunk into the strong tail is nearly seamless, and the tail fin is very low. This body shape is interpreted as an adaptation to a fossorial life style: Leptobrachella tadpoles live in the gravel beds of small streams. In Leptobrachella mjobergi where more detailed observations have been made, tadpoles have unusually mobile head and trunk. While smaller tadpoles seem to use existing interstitial spaces, larger ones can actively push their way through gravel.[4]
Species
Currently nine species are included in Leptobrachella:[1][5][6]
- Leptobrachella baluensis Smith, 1931
- Leptobrachella brevicrus Dring, 1984
- Leptobrachella itiokai Eto, Matsui, and Nishikawa, 2016
- Leptobrachella juliandringi Eto, Matsui, and Nishikawa, 2015
- Leptobrachella mjobergi Smith, 1925
- Leptobrachella natunae (Günther, 1895)
- Leptobrachella palmata Inger and Stuebing, 1992
- Leptobrachella parva Dring, 1984
- Leptobrachella serasanae Dring, 1984
References
- 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Leptobrachella Smith, 1925". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ↑ Wild Borneo: The Wildlife and Scenery of Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, and Kalimantan. New Holland Publishers. 2006. p. 69. ISBN 1845373782.
- 1 2 Haas, A., Hertwig, S.T., Das, I. (2015). "Leptobrachella Dwarf Litter Frogs". Frogs of Borneo. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ↑ Haas, A.; Hertwig, S.; Das, I. (2006). "Extreme tadpoles: The morphology of the fossorial megophryid larva, Leptobrachella mjobergi". Zoology. 109 (1): 26–42. doi:10.1016/j.zool.2005.09.008. PMID 16376062.
- ↑ "Megophryidae". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ↑ "Leptobrachella". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.