| Microhylidae | |
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| Eastern narrowmouth toad ( Gastrophryne carolinensis ) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Clade: | Ranoidea |
| Family: | Microhylidae Günther, 1858 |
| Subfamilies | |
Adelastinae Contents | |
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| Distribution of Microhylidae (in black) | |
The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family of frogs. The 683 species are in 57 genera and 11 subfamilies. [2]
A molecular phylogenetic study by van der Meijden, et al. (2007) has estimated the initial internal divergence of the family Microhylidae to have taken place about 66 million years ago, or immediately after the Cretaceous extinction event. [1] The most recent common ancestor of the Microhylidae and their closest ranoid relatives is estimated to have lived 116 million years ago in Gondwana. [1]
As suggested by their name, microhylids are mostly small frogs. Many species are below 1.5 cm (0.59 in) in length, although some species are as large as 9 cm (3.5 in). [3] They can be arboreal or terrestrial, and some even live close to water. The ground-dwellers are often found under leaf litter within forests, occasionally venturing out at night to hunt. The two main shapes for the microhylids are wide bodies and narrow mouths and normal frog proportions. Those with narrow mouths generally eat termites and ants, and the others have diets typical of most frogs. Egg-laying habits are highly varied.
The microhylids of New Guinea and Australia completely bypass the tadpole stage, with direct development from egg to frog. The arboreal species can therefore lay the eggs within the trees, and never need venture to the ground. Where species do have tadpoles, these almost always lack the teeth or horny beaks typical of the tadpoles of other families. [3]
The skull has paired palatines and frontoparietals. The facial nerve passes through the anterior acoustic foramen in the auditory capsule; the trigeminal and facial nerve ganglia are fused to form a prootic ganglion. The eight (or seven) presacral holochordal vertebrae are all procoelous except for a biconcave surface on last presacral. The pectoral girdle is firmisternal and some show reduced clavicle and procoracoids. The terminal phalanges are blunt, pointed, or T-shaped. The tadpole lacks keratinized mouth parts and has a large spiracular chamber emptied by a caudomedial spiracle. [4]
Frogs from the Microhylidae occur throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of North America, South America, Africa, eastern India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Australia. Although most are found in tropical or subtropical regions, a few species can be found in arid or nontropical areas. They are the majority of frog species in New Guinea and Madagascar.
The ranges of each subfamily are: [6]
Cophylinae is a subfamily of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar. It has over 100 species in eight genera. Members of this subfamily range from minute to fairly large, and they are highly ecologically diverse. DNA barcode research has revealed a significant taxonomic gap in this subfamily, and an estimated 70+ candidate species were identified. Many of these have subsequently been described, as well as numerous new discoveries.
Plethodontohyla is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar.
Asterophryinae is a subfamily of microhylid frogs distributed in an area from the Peninsular Malaysia through the Malay Archipelago to northern Australia.
The Microhylinae are a subfamily of microhylid frogs. It contains 9 genera. Phylogenetic studies have estimated the family Microhylidae to be about 52 million years old.
Mantidactylus is a frog genus in the mantellid subfamily Mantellinae. This genus is restricted to Madagascar. The genus is divided into several subgenera that form monophyletic genetic clusters and are ecologically similar.
Austrochaperina is a genus of microhylid frogs found on New Guinea, New Britain and Australia.
Copiula is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to New Guinea. The common name Mehely frogs has been coined for them. They are leaf-litter inhabitants.
Scaphiophryne is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar. Some of the species are strikingly marked, while others are highly cryptic. They are rather plump and generally found on the ground. Several species in the genus are threatened because of habitat loss and overcollection for the international pet trade.
Kalophrynus is a genus of microhylid frogs. It is the only genus in the subfamily Kalophryninae. The species in this genus are found in southern China, in Southeast Asia to Java and Philippines, and in Assam, India.
Microhyla, commonly known as the rice frogs or narrow-mouthed frogs, is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It consists of 42 species of diminutive frogs. Members of this genus are widespread from Ryukyu Is. in Japan, and throughout South-east Asia,.
Boophis is the only genus in the mantellid frog subfamily Boophinae. They are commonly known as bright-eyed or skeleton frogs. They show typical 'tree frog' traits, and are a good example of convergent evolution with morphologically similar species in the families Hylidae and Rhacophoridae, among others. This genus can only be found on Madagascar and Mayotte Island (Comoros).
Callulops boettgeri, also known as Boettger's Callulops frog, is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Halmahera in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It is only known from the holotype collected from Galela in 1894. The genus-level placement of this little known frog has changed many times, and it is still unclear whether it should be placed in some other genus.
Nanohyla annectens, the Larut Hills rice frog, is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is found in Peninsular Malaysia; records from Thailand and elsewhere probably refer to other species. Its natural habitats are evergreen submontane and montane rainforests. It lives on the forest floor and in puddles and breeds in temporary pools. It is locally threatened by habitat loss.
Nanohyla perparva is a diminutive species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Borneo and found in Kalimantan (Indonesia), Brunei, and Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysia). The nominal species includes distinct lineages that likely represent different species. Common names least narrow-mouthed frog and Labang forest rice frog have been proposed for this species.
Guibemantis is a frog genus in the mantellid subfamily Mantellinae. This genus is restricted to Madagascar. At present it contains 16 species divided into two subgenera.
Rhombophryne serratopalpebrosa is a species of frog of the Madagascar endemic microhylid subfamily Cophylinae. Genetic evidence revealed that it is a species complex, in need of resolution. This work has made significant progress, and five related species have been described from this complex between 2014 and 2017. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Siamophryne is a genus of frog found in Thailand. It is monotypic, consisting of only one species, the Tenasserim cave frog. Its closest relative is the genus Vietnamophryne.
Vietnamophryne occidentalis is a species of microhylid frog endemic to northern Thailand. Its type locality is Doi Tung Mountain, Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand.
Nanohyla is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. Members of the genus are known as pygmy narrow-mouthed frogs. The members of the genus are found throughout Southeast Asia in the countries of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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