The southern frogs form the Leptodactylidae, a name that comes from Greek meaning a bird or other animal having slender toes. They are a diverse family of frogs that most likely diverged from other hyloids during the Cretaceous. The family has undergone major taxonomic revisions in recent years, including the reclassification of the former subfamily Eleutherodactylinae into its own family the Eleutherodactylidae; the Leptodactylidae now number 206 species in 13 genera distributed throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The family includes terrestrial, burrowing, aquatic, and arboreal members, inhabiting a wide range of habitats.
The golden coquí is a rare, possibly extinct species of frog endemic to Puerto Rico.
The Brachycephalidae are a family of frogs confined to eastern and southern Brazil and northern Argentina. The family is composed of two externally quite different genera: the tiny, often colourful and plump saddleback toads (Brachycephalus) from Brazil, and the larger, slimmer and more drab genus Ischnocnema from both Brazil and Argentina. The family is mainly defined by molecular characteristics, and are linked by few anatomical features. It was erected from two genera of the previously large family Eleutherodactylidae, which is now split into four families.
Adelophryne is a genus of frogs in the family Eleutherodactylidae. They are native to northern South America east of the Andes, known roughly from the area corresponding to the Guiana Shield, as well as to the coastal area of Bahia, Brazil. Whether the genus is truly distinct from Phyzelaphryne remains uncertain. Common name shield frogs has been proposed for this genus, although the stem flea frog is used for some species.
Mount Duida frogs (Dischidodactylus) form a genus of brachycephaloid frogs endemic to the tepuis of southern Venezuela. The scientific name is derived from the Greek dischidos, meaning divided, and dactylos, meaning finger or toe, in reference to the divided ungual flap.
Holoaden, the highland frogs, is a small genus of frogs in the family Strabomantidae. The species are endemic to south-eastern Brazil.
Ischnocnema is a genus of frogs from eastern Brazil and north-eastern Argentina. They comprise the former Eleutherodactylus from this region, but they are closer to Brachycephalus than the "true" Eleutherodactylus. Consequently, they are now placed in their own genus Ischnocnema in the family Brachycephalidae.
Craugastor laticeps is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and southern Mexico.
Eleutherodactylus counouspeus, also known as Counou robber frog and yellow cave frog, is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is endemic to the Massif de la Hotte, southwestern Haiti. The specific name counouspeus refers to its type locality, Counou Bois Cave, with speus being Greek for "cave". Hedges and colleagues suggested in 2008 that it should be placed in its own monotypic subgenus, Schwartzius, reflecting its distinctiveness and honoring Albert Schwartz for "his contributions to the herpetology of the West Indies."
Diasporus hylaeformis, also known as the Pico Blanco robber frog or the montane dink frog, is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is found in humid mountain areas in Costa Rica and Panama. Its natural habitats are dense montane forest and tropical rainforest. It is an abundant, nocturnal species found in low vegetation.
Eleutherodactylus inoptatus is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae endemic to Hispaniola; it is found both in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. With female snout–vent length of about 88 mm (3.5 in), it is the largest eleutherodactylid frog.
Eleutherodactylus intermedius is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae endemic to eastern Cuba where it is known from the Sierra Maestra and Sierra del Cobre. Its common name is Pico Turquino robber frog, in reference to its type locality.
Eleutherodactylus pipilans is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is found in southern and southeastern Mexico and southwestern Guatemala.
Eleutherodactylus zugi is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is endemic to western Cuba and is known from Pinar del Río and Artemisa provinces. The specific name zugi honors George Robert Zug, an American herpetologist. Common names Rosario red-legged frog and Zug's robber frog have been coined for it. Eleutherodactylus erythroproctus was originally described as a subspecies of Eleutherodactylus zugi, and is sometimes still treated as such.
Craugastoridae, commonly known as fleshbelly frogs, is a family of New World direct-developing frogs. As delineated here, following the Amphibian Species of the World, it contains 129 species. They are found from the southern United States southwards to Central and South America.
Haddadus is a genus of frogs in the family Craugastoridae. The genus has three species that are endemic to the Atlantic Forest of east and southeast Brazil. The genus is named for Célio F. B. Haddad, Brazilian herpetologist.
Diasporus is a genus of frogs in the family Eleutherodactylidae. The genus was first described in 2008. They are found in Central and northern South America. They are sometimes referred to as dink frogs, in reference to the "tink" sound that males make during the mating season.
Lynchius is a genus of frogs in the family Strabomantidae. The name honours herpetologist John D. Lynch. The distribution of Lynchius is restricted to the Cordillera Oriental in southern Ecuador and Cordillera de Huancabamba in northern Peru.
Psychrophrynella is a genus of frogs in the family Strabomantidae The genus is distributed on the Andes of southern Peru and Bolivia. One of the four species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is assessed as "Critically Endangered".
Niceforonia is a genus of frogs in the family Strabomantidae found in northern South America. The name refers to Nicéforo María, Colombian herpetologist.
