Stefania evansi

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Stefania evansi
Stefania evansi (Boulenger, 1904).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hemiphractidae
Genus: Stefania
Species:
S. evansi
Binomial name
Stefania evansi
(Boulenger, 1904)
Synonyms

Hyla evansiBoulenger, 1904 [2]
Cryptobatrachus evansi(Boulenger, 1904)

Contents

Stefania evansi is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. Stefania evansi is, along with other closely related frogs, known for its unusual reproductive mode where females carry the eggs and juveniles on their back. [1] [2] [3] [4] It is sometimes known under common names Groete Creek carrying frog, Groete Creek treefrog, or Evans' stefania (the "treefrog" designation can be misleading as Stefania are no longer included in the family Hylidae [3] ). These names refer to its type locality, Groete Creek in the region Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Guyana, where the holotype was collected by one Dr. R. Evans. [3] [5]

Distribution and habitat

Stefania evansi is endemic to Guyana [6] and distributed in forested lowlands of west-central Guyana [5] at altitudes below 900 m (3,000 ft). [7] [8] Frogs collected at higher altitudes probably represent Stefania scalae , a species that was for a while considered to be synonymous with Stefania evansi. [9] [10] It generally occurs in habitats with low human impact and is not considered threatened. [1]

Description

Stefania evansi is one of the largest members of the genus: males grow to up to 53 mm (2.1 in) in snout–vent length and females to 98 mm (3.9 in). [3] Stefania evansi is dimorphic with respect to colouration: one morph is plain, and the other one is striped. A single brood can contain both morphs. [9]

Reproduction

As is typical for the genus, female Stefania evansi carry the eggs on their back and juveniles develop fully on their mother's back. [11] The eggs and juveniles are exposed but adhere to a mucus layer. [3] [9] Brood size is variable: among 11 recorded clutches, it is 11–30 eggs and increases with female size; 30 eggs is the highest brood size recorded in the genus. [4] Eggs containing tailed, gilled larvae measure 8–9 mm (0.31–0.35 in) in diameter. [2] Eggs hatch on the female's back as froglets, without a free-living larval stage. [4] Juveniles stay on their mother's back until they are about 19 mm (0.75 in) in length, [3] although smaller (17–18 mm (0.67–0.71 in) SVL) independent juveniles can also be found. It is speculated that the juveniles leave their mother's back when the resorption of the gill stalks is complete, coinciding with the consumption of all yolk. Juveniles may leave their mother also prematurely, showing residual gill stalks and yolk in their bellies, in response to stress caused by handling or predation. [9]

The duration of development and brooding is not known, but is assumed to require about 2–3 months. Breeding seems more frequent during—but not strictly restricted to—the rainy season. [12]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Cryptobatrachus</i> Genus of amphibians

Cryptobatrachus is a genus of frogs in the family Hemiphractidae. They are found in Colombia and Venezuela. They are also known as backpack frogs, as the females have the habit of carrying their egg clutch on their backs until the young hatch; this behavior also occurs in the related hemiphractid genera Hemiphractus and Stefania.

<i>Stefania</i> Genus of amphibians

Stefania is a genus of frogs in the family Hemiphractidae. They are native to the highlands of the Guiana Shield in southern Venezuela, Guyana, and adjacent far northern Brazil. Most are restricted to the tepui highlands, but S. evansi also occurs in lowlands. On most mountains there are only 1–2 species from this genus, but five are known from Mount Ayanganna and the neighbouring Mount Wokomung has six species. They are usually found near streams at low levels on branches/leaves or on the ground among vegetation/rocks.

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<i>Itapotihyla</i> Genus of amphibians

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Nesorohyla is a monotypic genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. The sole species is Nesorohyla kanaima, also known as the Kanaima treefrog. It is endemic to Guyana. and possibly Brazil and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manaus slender-legged tree frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Manaus slender-legged tree frog, also known as the giant broad-headed tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Hylidae found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, moist savanna, rivers, intermittent freshwater marshes, and canals and ditches. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is also reported to produce Bufotenin.

<i>Tepuihyla talbergae</i> Species of amphibian

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<i>Adelophryne gutturosa</i> Species of amphibian

Adelophryne gutturosa is a species of frogs in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is found on the Guiana Shield from eastern Venezuela through Guyana to French Guiana and adjacent Brazil (Amapá), possibly extending to Suriname. Its type locality is Mount Roraima. Its local Spanish name is ranita guturosa.

Adenomera lutzi is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is endemic to Guyana. First described from the upper Potaro River based on specimens collected before 1905, it is now known from a number of sites around the Pakaraima Mountains in west-central Guyana. The specific name lutzi honors Adolfo Lutz, a Brazilian medical entomologist and parasitologist and a pioneer of herpetology. Common names Lutz's tropical bullfrog and Lutz's thin-toed frog have been coined for the species.

Stefania ackawaio is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is endemic to Guyana. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Stefania ayangannae is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is endemic to Guyana where it is known from Mount Ayanganna and Mount Wokomung, both in the Pacaraima Mountains.

Stefania coxi is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is endemic to Guyana and has been found on Mount Ayanganna and Mount Wokomung. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests at higher elevations.

Stefania roraimae is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is endemic to Guyana. Its type locality is Mount Roraima; it is also known from Mount Ayanganna and Mount Wokomung. It presumably occurs in the adjacent Venezuela and Brazil too.

Stefania woodleyi is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is endemic to the eastern part of the Pakaraima Mountains in Guyana, including Mount Wokomung and Mount Ayanganna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemiphractidae</span> Family of amphibians

The Hemiphractidae are a family of frogs from South and Central America. Previously, this group had been classified as a subfamily (Hemiphractinae) under family Hylidae. More recent research classifies these genera into their own family, or sometimes into three separate families: Amphignathodontidae, Cryptobatrachidae, and Hemiphractidae. An active question still exists as to which of these groupings is more accurate.

<i>Dryaderces</i> Genus of amphibians

Dryaderces is a small genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. Their known distribution is disjunct, with one species found in the upper Amazon Basin and lower Andean slopes between central Peru and Amazonian Bolivia, and another one in Pará, Brazil. Its sister taxon is Osteocephalus. No phenotypic synapomorphies defining the genus are known.

References

  1. 1 2 3 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2019). "Stefania evansi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T56026A120467204. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T56026A120467204.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Boulenger, G. A. (1904). "Description of a new tree-frog of the genus Hyla, from British Guiana, carrying eggs on the back". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. II: 106 +1 plate. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1904.tb08315.x.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 MacCulloch, R.D.; Lathrop, A. (2006). "Stefania evansi". Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 827: 1–3.
  4. 1 2 3 Salerno, P. E.; Pauly, G. B. (2012). "Clutch size variation in egg-brooding Stefania". South American Journal of Herpetology. 7: 47–54. doi:10.2994/057.007.0106.
  5. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2013). "Stefania evansi (Boulenger, 1904)". Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  6. ↑ MacCulloch, RD & A Lathrop (2006). "Stefania evansi". Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 827: 1–3.
  7. ↑ MacCulloch, R.D. & A. Lathrop (2002). "Exceptional diversity of the genus Stefania (Anura: Hylidae) on Mount Ayanganna, Guyana; three new species and new distributional records". Herpetologica. 58: 327–346. doi:10.1655/0018-0831(2002)058[0327:edosah]2.0.co;2.
  8. ↑ MacCulloch, R.D.; A. Lathrop & S.Z. Khan (2006). "Exceptional diversity of Stefania (Anura: Cryptobatrachidae) II: six species from Mount Wokomung, Guyana". Phyllomedusa. 5: 31–41. doi: 10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v5i1p31-41 .
  9. 1 2 3 4 Kok, P. J. R.; Benjamin, P. (2007). "Stefania evansi (Groete Creek Carrying Frog): Froglet carrying" (PDF). Herpetological Bulletin. 100 (Summer 2007): 38–39.
  10. ↑ Frost, Darrel R. (2013). "Stefania scalae Rivero, 1970". Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  11. ↑ Jungfer, K-H & W. Boehme (1991). "The back-pack strategy of parental care in frogs, with notes on froglet-carrying in Stefania evansi (Boulenger, 1904) (Anura: Hylidae: Hemiphractinae)". Revue française d'Aquariologie. 18: 91–96.
  12. ↑ Kok, P. J. R.; Bourne, G.R.; Benjamin, P.; Lenglet, G.L. (2006). "Stefania evansi (Groete Creek Carrying Frog). Reproduction" (PDF). Herpetological Review. 37: 212–213.
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