Pseudis

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Pseudis
Podonectes minutus02.jpg
Pseudis minuta
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Tribe: Dendropsophini
Genus: Pseudis
Wagler, 1830
Type species
Rana paradoxa
Species

See text.

Pseudis is a genus of South American frogs (swimming frogs) in the family Hylidae. [1] They are often common and frequently heard, but easily overlooked because of their camouflage and lifestyle, living in lakes, ponds, marshes and similar waters with extensive aquatic vegetation, often sitting at the surface among plants or on floating plants, but rapidly diving if disturbed. Whereas the adults are medium-sized frogs, their tadpoles are large; in some species the world's longest. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Distribution

Pseudis species are distributed throughout tropical and subtropical South America, almost entirely east of the Andes (P. paradoxa is the only species with populations west of the Andes, in Colombia). They are found from Trinidad to northern Argentina, being absent only in Ecuador and Chile, highland regions, and the southernmost part of South America. All species occur in Brazil, and P. bolbodactyla, P. cardosoi, P. fusca and P. tocantins are endemic to this country. [1] [5]

Description

Mating P. paradoxa Pseudis paradoxa01.jpg
Mating P. paradoxa
Models of full-grown tadpole and adult P. paradoxa NHM London Paradoxical frog (Pseudis paradoxa) model.jpg
Models of full-grown tadpole and adult P. paradoxa

These frogs have several adaptations to aquatic life, such as protuberant eyes, robust hind limbs, and fully webbed feet. [6] Nevertheless, they belong to the "true" tree frogs, family Hylidae. [1]

Breeding and feeding

Mating and egg-laying in Pseudis is typical of frogs. What sets them apart is their tadpoles that start out as fairly normal, but continue growing until reaching gigantic sizes, sometimes as much as 22–27 cm (9–11 in) in length in P. paradoxa and P. platensis. [3] [5] [7] [8] They are the longest known tadpoles and also large compared to the adult frogs, which are 3.4–7.6 cm (1.3–3.0 in) in snout–to–vent length. [2] [5] Less data is available for the tadpoles of most others members of the genus, but they too reach large sizes, although perhaps somewhat less than P. paradoxa and P. platensis. [9] Their adult frogs also average somewhat smaller with snout–to–vent lengths of 2.4–6.6 cm (0.9–2.6 in). [5] [10] [11] However, there are two outliers in the genus: The closely related P. cardosoi and P. minuta (equalling the proposed genus Podonectes, see Phylogenetic relationships ) have more normal tadpoles that are not known to surpass lengths of c.9 cm (3.5 in). [9] [11] [12] This is still large compared to the adults of these two species, meaning that they too "shrink" during metamorphosis from tadpole to frog. [9] In most if not all the species, there are noticeable local variations in the final size of the tadpoles, with those in large temporary waters with plenty of food and few aquatic predators growing larger than those in smaller waters with less food or waters with more aquatic predators. [5] In at least the species with very large tadpoles, their final stages have unusually well-developed organs, including nearly ripe reproductive organs. This means that recently metamorphosed frogs rapidly reach maturity and essentially stop growing, whereas most other frogs take more time and growing after metamorphosis before they become mature. [3] [5] [13]

Pseudis is closely related to a second genus, Lysapsus , that lacks giant tadpoles and in which adults are smaller, up to 2.5 cm (1.0 in). [6] [5]

Pseudis tadpoles feed mostly on a wide range of algae, but also take small invertebrates. [14] [15] The adult frogs feed mostly on land-based insects and spiders, but also other land-based or aquatic invertebrates, small frogs and—in some species—plant material. [16] [17] [18] [19]

Species

P. bolbodactyla, one of several species formerly included in P. paradoxa Pseudis bolbodactyla02a.jpg
P. bolbodactyla , one of several species formerly included in P. paradoxa

There are seven species in this genus (given that Lysapsus is accepted as a separate genus). Until the late 1990s and early 2000s, most authorities only recognized P. minuta and P. paradoxa, but P. cardosoi was described in 2010 (having formerly been included as a population of P. minuta), while the remaining were considered subspecies, synonyms or populations of P. paradoxa. [1] The validity of P. platensis as a species separate from P. paradoxa is questionable. [5]

Binomial name and authorCommon name
Pseudis bolbodactyla Lutz, 1925
Pseudis cardosoi Kwet, 2000
Pseudis fusca Garman, 1883
Pseudis minuta Günther, 1858lesser swimming frog
Pseudis paradoxa (Linnaeus, 1758)paradoxical frog
Pseudis platensis Gallardo, 1961
Pseudis tocantins Caramaschi & Cruz, 1998

Phylogenetic relationships

The phylogenetic position of frogs currently included in the genus Pseudis in relation to other anurans was for a long time a matter of debate. They have been placed in Ranidae, Leptodactylidae, [20] Hylidae, [21] and as their own family Pseudidae [22] This results from their highly derived body plan for a hylid frog due to their mostly aquatic habits. Recent morphological [23] and molecular [24] phylogenetic reconstructions have unambiguously placed them within the subfamily Hylinae with Scarthyla as a sister group.

Phylogenetic relationships among species of the group were recently proposed using molecular evidences. [6] [25] [23] Both publications found identical trees, but proposed different taxonomic solutions for the nonmonophyly of Pseudis, either resurrecting the genus Podonectes [6] or placing Lysapsus as a junior synonym of Pseudis. [25] More recent molecular evidence did not find Pseudis paraphyletic with respect to Lysapsus , so the synonymy is unnecessary. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tadpole</span> Larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian

A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found in adult amphibians such as a lateral line, gills and swimming tails. As they undergo metamorphosis, they start to develop functional lungs for breathing air, and the diet of tadpoles changes drastically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hylidae</span> Family of frogs

Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as "tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semiaquatic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spikethumb frog</span> Genus of amphibians

Spikethumb frogs are a genus (Plectrohyla) of frogs in the family Hylidae found in Central America from southern Mexico through Guatemala and northern El Salvador to central and northern Honduras. A major revision of the Hylidae moved an additional 21 species to this genus from the genus Hyla. The additional species moved to Plectrohyla were identified as the Hyla bistincta group, also called the Plectrohyla bistincta group; a separate group from the initial Plectrohyla guatemalensis group. This phylogenetic classification was later revised by moving the Plectrohyla bistincta group from the genus Plectrohyla into a new genus called Sarcohyla. Meanwhile, the guatemalensis group remained in Plectrohyla. They are called spikethumb because of the spike on their thumbs, which is called a prepollex. The genus name comes from the Greek word plēktron ("spur") and hyla.

<i>Pseudis paradoxa</i> Species of amphibian

Pseudis paradoxa, known as the paradoxical frog or shrinking frog, is a species of hylid frog from South America. Its name refers to the very large—up to 27 cm (11 in) long—tadpole, which in turn "shrinks" during metamorphosis into an ordinary-sized frog, only about a quarter or third of its former length. Although the recordholder was a tadpole in Amapá that belonged to this species, others in the genus Pseudis also have large tadpoles and ordinary-sized adults.

<i>Charadrahyla</i> Genus of amphibians

Charadrahyla is a genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to tropical southern Mexico. The generic name was derived from Greek charadra ("ravine") and Hyla, in reference to the habits of these frogs. Accordingly, common name ravine treefrogs has been coined for the genus.

Megastomatohyla is a genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. They are endemic to the cloud forests of central Veracruz and Oaxaca, Mexico. All are rare species with restricted distributions. The generic name is derived from Greek mega (="large") and stem of the genitive stomatos (="mouth"), referring to the enlarged oral disc of the tadpoles, juxtaposed with Hyla, the genus in which the four Megastomatohyla species were previously placed. Common name large-mouthed treefrogs has been coined for this genus.

<i>Cruziohyla</i> Genus of amphibians

Cruziohyla is a genus of frogs in the subfamily Phyllomedusinae. They occur from Honduras in Central America south to the Amazon Basin in South America. This genus was erected in 2005 following a major revision of the Hylidae and fully reviewed in 2018. Species in this genus were previously placed in the genera Agalychnis or Phyllomedusa.

<i>Ecnomiohyla</i> Genus of amphibians

Ecnomiohyla, commonly known as fringe-limbed treefrogs or marvelous frogs, is a genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. This genus was erected in 2005 following a major revision of Hylidae. The ten original species in this genus were previously placed in the genus Hyla. The generic name Ecnomiohyla comes from Greek ecnomios and Hylas, the companion of Hercules.

<i>Dendropsophus</i> Genus of amphibians

Dendropsophus is a genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. They are distributed in Central and South America, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina and Uruguay. They are sometimes known under the common name Fitzinger neotropical treefrogs or yellow treefrogs

<i>Pseudis bolbodactyla</i> Species of frog

Pseudis bolbodactyla is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to southern Brazil and occurs in Minas Gerais, southern Goiás, southern Bahia, and northern Espírito Santo states. Although it is currently considered a valid species, it has also been treated as a subspecies of Pseudis paradoxa.

<i>Pseudis cardosoi</i> Species of amphibian

Pseudis cardosoi is a species of aquatic frog in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to southern Brazil and is known from the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná. The specific name cardosoi honors Adão José Cardoso, a Brazilian herpetologist.

Pseudis fusca is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to Minas Gerais, Brazil, and only known few localities. Although it is currently considered a valid species, it has also been treated as a subspecies of Pseudis paradoxa.

<i>Pseudis minuta</i> Species of amphibian

Pseudis minuta is a species of aquatic frog in the family Hylidae. It is found in northeastern Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil, and is likely to be found in southern Paraguay.

Pseudis tocantins is a species of aquatic frog in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to central Brazil and occurs in the eponymous state of Tocantins, as well as in Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Maranhão states, in the Tocantins and Araguaia River basins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hylinae</span> Subfamily of amphibians

Hylinae is a large subfamily of "tree frogs", family Hylidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dendropsophini</span> Subfamily of amphibians

Dendropsophini is a tribe of small neotropical tree frogs in the subfamily Hylinae. They are distributed from southern Mexico, throughout Central America, and down South America to northern Argentina and Uruguay. Removed from the synonymy of Hylinae in 2016, this taxon was formerly considered its own subfamily before being reclassified as a tribe. As defined by Favovich et al. in 2005, the tribe Dendrosophini contains the members of three former subfamilies within the Hylidae prior to taxonomic rearrangement: Dendropsophinae, Pseudinae, and Scinaxinae.

<i>Atlantihyla</i> Genus of amphibians

Atlantihyla is a genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to Central America, specifically to Honduras and Guatemala. The generic name refers to its distribution on the Atlantic side of the isthmus. The members of the genus are known as stream frogs.

<i>Rheohyla</i> Genus of amphibians

Rheohyla is a genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. As currently recognized, it is monotypic, containing only Rheohyla miotympanum, also known as the small-eared hyla or small-eared treefrog. However, the nominal species likely is a complex of more than one species. It is endemic to eastern and central Mexico. The generic name refers to streams, the breeding habitat of this frog. The specific name is derived from Greek meion, a diminutive prefix, together with Greek tympanon (='drum') and refers to the small tympanum.

<i>Julianus</i> (frog) Genus of frogs

Julianus is a genus of tree frogs in the family Hylidae. They are found in southeastern Brazil, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina. This genus is considered poorly defined and is regarded by most to merely be a synonym of Scinax.

Pseudis platensis is a frog in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Frost, Darrel R. (2013). "Pseudis Wagler, 1830". Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 Halliday, T. (2016). The Book of Frogs: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from around the World. University Of Chicago Press. p. 320. ISBN   978-0226184654.
  3. 1 2 3 Fabrezi, M.; S.I. Quinzio; J. Goldberg (2009). "Giant Tadpole and Delayed Metamorphosis of Pseudis platensis Gallardo, 1961 (Anura, Hylidae)". Journal of Herpetology. 43 (2): 228–243. doi:10.1670/08-028R3.1. hdl: 11336/53231 . S2CID   83912058.
  4. ↑ Franklyn, D. (2015). Pseudis paradoxa (Paradoxical Frog) . The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago. Retrieved 7 January 2020
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Garda, A. A.; D.J. Santana; V.d. Avelar São Pedro (2010). "Taxonomic characterization of Paradoxical frogs (Anura, Hylidae, Pseudae): geographic distribution, external morphology, and morphometry". Zootaxa. 2666: 1–28. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2666.1.1.
  6. 1 2 3 4 GARDA, A. A., and D. C. CANNATELLA. 2007. Phylogeny and biogeography of paradoxical frogs (Anura, Hylidae, Pseudae) inferred from 12S and 16S mitochondrial DNA. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 44:104-114.
  7. ↑ Bokermann, W.C.A. (1967). "Girinos de anfíbios brasileiros—3: sôbre um girino gigante de Pseudis paradoxa (Amphibia, Pseudidae)". Revista Brasileira de Biologia. 27: 209–212.
  8. ↑ Emerson, S. B. (1988). "The giant tadpole of Pseudis paradoxa". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 34 (2): 93–104. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.1988.tb01951.x.
  9. 1 2 3 Santana, D. J.; F.D. Medeiros Magalhães; V.d. Avelar São Pedro; S. Mângia; T.F. Amado; A.A. Garda (2016). "Calls and tadpoles of the species of Pseudis (Anura, Hylidae, Pseudae)". Herpetological Journal. 26: 141–150.
  10. ↑ Caramaschi, U.; C.A. Gonçalves da Cruz (1998). "Notas taxonômicas sobre Pseudis fusca garman e P. bolbodactyla A. Lutz, com a descrição de uma nova espécie correlata (Anura, Pseudidae)". Rev. Bras. Zool. 15 (4): 929–944. doi: 10.1590/S0101-81751998000400011 .
  11. 1 2 Kwet, A. (2000). "The genus Pseudis (Anura: Pseudidae) in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, with description of a new species". Amphibia-Reptilia. 21 (1): 39–55. doi: 10.1163/156853800507264 .
  12. ↑ Sá, R.O.d.; E.O. Lavilka (1997). "The tadpole of Pseudis minuta (Anura: Pseudidae), an apparent case of heterochrony". Amphibia-Reptilia. 18 (3): 229–240. doi:10.1163/156853897X00116.
  13. ↑ Downie, J.R.; K. Sams; P.T. Walsh (2009). "The paradoxical frog Pseudis paradoxa: larval anatomical characteristics, including gonadal maturation". Herpetological Journal. 19: 1–10.
  14. ↑ Arias, M.; P. Peltzer; R. Lajmanovich (2002). "Diet of giant Pseudis paradoxa platensis (Anura, Pseudidade) from Argentina". Phyllomedusa: Journal of Herpetology. 1 (2): 97–100. doi: 10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v1i2p97-100 .
  15. ↑ Huckembeck, S.; L.T. Alves; D. Loebmann; A.M. Garcia (2016). "What the largest tadpole feeds on? A detailed analysis of the diet composition of Pseudis minuta tadpoles (Hylidae, Dendropsophini)". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 88 (3): 1397–1400. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765201620150345 . PMID   27508992.
  16. ↑ Downie, J.R.; E.G. Hancock; A.P. Muir (2010). "The diet of the paradoxical frog Pseudis paradoxa in Trinidad, West Indies". Herpetological Journal. 20 (2): 111–114.
  17. ↑ Miranda, T.; M. Ebner; M. Solé; A. Kwet (2006). "Spatial, seasonal and intra polulational variation in the diet of Pseudis cardosoi (Anura-Hylidae) from the araucaria Plateau of Rio Grande do Sul". South American Journal of Herpetology. 1 (2): 121–130. doi:10.2994/1808-9798(2006)1[121:SSAIVI]2.0.CO;2. S2CID   85090411.
  18. ↑ Duré, M.I.; A.I. Kehr (2001). "Differential Exploitation of Trophic Resources by Two Pseudid Frogs from Corrientes, Argentina". Journal of Herpetology. 35 (2): 340–343. doi:10.2307/1566129. hdl: 11336/47353 . JSTOR   1566129.
  19. ↑ de Oliveira Neves, M.; C. José da Silva Morais; A.A. Garda (2014). "Sexual Dimorphism and Diet of Pseudis tocantins (Anura, Hylidae, Pseudae)". South American Journal of Herpetology. 9 (3): 177–182. doi:10.2994/SAJH-D-14-00020.1. S2CID   84254037.
  20. ↑ NOBLE, G. K. 1922. The phylogeny of Salientia. I. The osteology and thigh musculature; their bearing on classification and phylogeny. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 46:1-87.
  21. ↑ PARKER, H. W. 1935. The frogs, lizards, and snakes of British Guiana. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 505-530.
  22. ↑ SAVAGE, J. M., and A. L. DE CARVALHO. 1953. The family position of neotropical frogs currently referred to the genus Pseudis. Zoologica. 38:193-200.
  23. 1 2 DA SILVA, H. R. 1998. Phylogenetic relationships of the family Hylidae with emphasis on the relationships within the subfamily Hylinae (Amphibia: Anura). Department of Systematics and Ecology. University of Kansas.
  24. ↑ DARST, C. R., and D. C. CANNATELLA. 2004. Novel relationships among hyloid frogs inferred from 12S and 16S mitochondrial DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 31:462-475.
  25. 1 2 AGUIAR-JR., O., M. BACCI JR, A. P. LIMA, D. C. ROSSA-FERES, C. F. B. HADDAD, and S. M. RECCO-PIMENTEL. 2007. Phylogenetic relationships of Pseudis and Lysapsus (Anura, Hylidae, Hylinae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences. Cladistics. 23:455-463.
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