Teratohyla midas

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Teratohyla midas
Cochranella Midas.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Centrolenidae
Genus: Teratohyla
Species:
T. midas
Binomial name
Teratohyla midas
(Lynch and Duellman  [ fr ], 1973)
Synonyms [2]

Centrolenella midasLynch and Duellman, 1973 [3]
Cochranella midas(Lynch and Duellman, 1973)

Contents

Teratohyla midas (common name: Santa Cecilia Cochran frog) is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae, which are also known as glass frogs. The species Teratohyla midas was first recorded in 1973 by Lynch, J. D., & Duellman, W. E. [4] This Amazonian species appears to be semi-transparent with gold flecks on its back. Though many species of the glass frog, Centrolendidae, are similar in terms of diet and habitats, they vary greatly among limbs and other physiologies. [4] Because of the similarities between T. midas and other glass frogs, Centrolendidae, researchers often group T. midas together with other species within the same family.

Characteristics

T. midas is arboreal, meaning that they mainly live in trees. Through their semi-opaque skins, one can see the green bones and if the specimen is female, the humerus spine. Their snout has a truncated shape from the dorsal view leading to an angled appearance around the lateral nostril region. Adult snout-vent length is around 17.4mm to 19.2 mm in males and 20.6mm to 25.6 mm in females. The shape of the finger discs of T. midas is rounded and truncated, and all discs are around the same size. The fingers do not bear narrow lateral fringes. Both hands and feet have median levels of webbing. Webbing completely encloses all toes but only encloses the third and fourth fingers. The ground colors of T. midas have a darker lavender shade. T. midas have bright yellow-colored flecks on the dorsal side, which are similar to the unique fingerprints among humans. Researchers often use these flecks to distinguish between different samples. In preservatives, these yellow flecks turn white. Both hands and feet are dull greenish yellow. The heart is not visible, and the organs are unpigmented. The iris is silvery brown with black reticulation. Teratohyla Midas differs from other species of glass frogs due to their unique internal viscera structures. Their livers are covered by a transparent membrane called the heptadic peritoneum. [4] The normal resting state of T. midas is when the frog has four legs closely stuck to the side of its body. [5]

Etymology

Its common name "Santa Cecilia" is named after the province of Napo, Ecuador, which had the most historical record of the species. The Latin root for its species name Midas is inspired by a Greek King who has the ability to turn everything he touches into gold. Thus, Teratohyla Midas’ name refers to the golden specks on the specie's dorsal side. [6]

Physiology

Glass frogs are known to have opaque skin. An experiment first published in March 2020 demonstrated the significance of having semi-translucent skin in glass frogs using T. midas and Espadarana prosoblepon . The experiment collected twenty-five adult T. midas captured in French Guiana as samples. The samples were compared under a white background and a leaf background mimicking the species' natural living conditions. The twenty-five frogs were then observed based on four different visual models: tetrachromatic avian, trichromatic snake, dichromatic mammal, and trichromatic human.

Camouflage properties

Researchers also collected data based on human observers to compare the camouflage properties of T. midas. The results show that semi-opacity may not be a contributing property of changing the hues of the animal. Instead, the semi-transparent body of the frog can change translucency when placed in different surroundings. In other words, the result of the experiment reveals that the semi-transparent body of T. midas does not change colors to its surroundings; rather, it changes the brightness levels of its body to blend into the environment. Additionally, the opaque body decreases the outline of the frog on leaves, thus also blurring the distinction between the outline of T. midas and its surroundings, an important aspect of camouflaging. The same researchers also suggested that the semi-transparent properties may be an advantage over completely transparent, as it may block out harmful UV radiation from sunlight which protects the internal organs of individuals. [5]

Habitat

T. midas is mostly found in the lowlands of South America, with highly diverse vegetation, including both humid and dry forests. T. midas is mostly found in lowland areas of northern South America, usually at heights between 190 and 1050 m above sea level. The newest record is around twelve hundred kilometers southeast of the Crique, Grand Leblond French Guiana, which is the easternmost record of the species. The wide range of T. midas leads researchers to consider T. midas may be a possible species complex due to its widespread population. [7]

Habitat destruction

Tadpoles develop in streams. It is locally suffering from habitat loss, but there are large areas of suitable habitat remaining. [1] Though there are records of glass frogs, Centrolenidae, being kept as pets worldwide, there is no specific data on T. midas being kept in captivity.[ citation needed ]

Mating

Advertisement calls have been described for fewer than 25% of species of glass frog. The advertisement call of T. midas consists of a single pulsed note with 3 pulses in very short emission. Series duration varies from 0.7 s to 61.8s. However, advertisement calls may vary due to geographical location. For example, calls from Ecuador presented 4 pulses/call, while in French Guiana and Brazil, they are composed of 3 pulses/call. The duration of calls also varies among geographical locations. Some populations in French Guiana have longer pulse duration than the population in Brazil. [8] Though there is little data regarding reproductive ecology, observations have been recorded of a female hopping from leaf to leaf with the male on the back and maintaining its amplexus in the nuchal and axillary amplexus position. One research on T. midas in the Colombian Amazon suggests a pattern in the species' oviposition, the location at which female frogs repel their egg from the oviduct to the external environment. Female usually lay their eggs on rocks or plants above water so that when the eggs hatches into tadpoles, the tadpoles can directly fall into waterbodies. [5]

Parental care

Oviposition

T. midas has a tendency to choose a plant genus called Selaginella as the oviposition site. Researchers have hypothesized that because the plants have antibacterial and antifungal properties, they may protect the eggs from common fungus infections such as Saprolegnia . Additionally, these moth-like plants have scaled leaves which make their surface rougher. The uneven edges of the leaves would then increase tension between the clutches and the leaves, thus preventing displacement of the clutches due to wind or rain. Finally, there is no general pattern for the height at which T. midas lay their eggs. [5]

Egg protection and guarding

After fertilization has occurred, the male would leave the oviposition site while the female remains to cover the eggs. The egg-laying process only lasts for a few seconds, but the female would continue to keep the eggs under its ventral or belly area for around an hour. Based on observations where the eggs seem more moisturized, one hypothesis the researchers have made is that this attendance action would keep the eggs more hydrated and protect them from future predation or danger. This reproductive behavior is relatively common among other glass frog species. An experiment has proven that female attendance of eggs keeps eggs moisturized in a species called Ikakogi tayrona , which is in the same family, Centrolenidae, as T. midas. [5]

A Drawing of T. midas tadpoles in clear jelly eggs Santa Cecilia Frog Tadpoles.jpg
A Drawing of T. midas tadpoles in clear jelly eggs

Growth and development

T. midas tadpoles are mainly found in clutches and found in overhanging water. The tadpoles will undergo the full development period in the clear jelly-like egg and fall into the waterbody once fully developed. During the embryonic developmental stage, the eggs appear to be bright yellow, contained within a clear jelly clutch, and consist of a bean-like shape [8]. After the tailbud stage and the external gills develop, the tadpoles of T. Midas can still be found within clear jelly of the clustered eggs with the tail curled. These tadpoles can swim around within the individual eggs. Grey spots are observed to be more concentrated around the dorsal fin and cranial area of the tadpoles. Most tissues in the tadpoles are opaque; thus, visceral structures can see through the skin, including the midbrain, forebrain, and gut. During this developmental stage, the gut appears to be bright green, while the other internal structures appear to have a dark-red hue.

Predator and prey

There is no specific research on Teratohyla midas, but most glass frogs prey on insects such as crickets, moths, flies, and spiders.[ citation needed ] Predators of glass frogs are avian species and other reptilian species. Recorded cases of crested quetzal preying on glass frogs have been reported around Sierra de Perija. The avian species would capture the frog in its bill, and glass frogs would serve as a source of protein for tropical avians. [9]

Taxonomy

T. midas belongs to the genus Teratohyla, a monophyletic evolutionary group. All species in this genus habituate in lowland areas of South America. It is most closely related to the species Teratohyla adenocheira . Evidence of this speciation came from a pair of sister taxa separated by geographic barriers. T. midas and T. adenocheira were found to be separated by a South American Mountain range called the Andes. The diversion was thought to occur around 2.7 million years ago, corresponding with the new uplift or vertical elevation of the Eastern Cordillera mountain range. [10]

Related Research Articles

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

The glass frogs belong to the amphibian family Centrolenidae, native to the Central American Rainforests. The general background coloration of most glass frogs is primarily lime green, the abdominal skin of some members of this family is transparent and translucent, giving the glass frog its common name. The internal viscera, including the heart, liver, and gastrointestinal tract, are visible through the skin. When active their blood makes them visible; when sleeping most of the blood is concealed in the liver, hiding them. Glass frogs are arboreal, living mainly in trees, feeding on small insects and only coming out for mating season. Their transparency conceals them very effectively when sleeping on a green leaf, as they habitually do. However, climate change and habitat fragmentation has been threatening the survival rates of the family.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium</i> Genus of amphibians

Hyalinobatrachium is a genus of glass frogs, family Centrolenidae. They are widely distributed in the Americas, from tropical Mexico to southeastern Brazil and Argentina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andes giant glass frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Andes giant glass frog is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia and the Mérida Andes and Serranía del Perijá of Venezuela.

<i>Ikakogi tayrona</i> Species of amphibian

Ikakogi tayrona, or the Magdalena giant glass frog, is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Magdalena Department, Colombia. It is the only glass frog that is known to show maternal care.

Teratohyla adenocheira is a species of frogs in the family Centrolenidae. It is known from the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, its type locality in eastern Bolivia, as well as more widely from Brazil, in the states of Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia. The species' closest relative is T. Midas.

Vitreorana castroviejoi is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is endemic to Cerro el Humo in the Paria Peninsula, Sucre state, northern Venezuela. It is locally known as ranita de cristal de Castroviejo. The specific name castroviejoi honors Javier Castroviejo Bolívar, a Spanish zoologist.

<i>Vitreorana ritae</i> Species of frog

Vitreorana ritae is a species of frog in the glass frog family (Centrolenidae). It is found in Amazonian Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and in southern Guyana, eastern Suriname, and French Guiana. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Rulyrana spiculata is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is endemic to the eastern slopes of Andes in central and southern Peru and northern Bolivia. Common name Cuzco Cochran frog has been coined for it.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum</i> Species of amphibian

Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum, also called the bare-hearted glass frog, plantation glass frog and the cricket glass frog, is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae that is found in moist forests, often near streams, in countries in Central America and South America. They are small, green frogs with many similarities to other glass frogs, however, they have the most transparent undersides of any glass frogs. Their transparent undersides make them ideal bio-indicators for how global warming and other threats are affecting the animals in the forests.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni</i> Species of amphibian

Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni, also known as Fleischmann's glass frog or the northern glass frog, is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in the tropical Americas from southern Mexico to Ecuador. Specifically, these frogs occur in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador. It has often been confused with related species, and the exact distribution depends on the source. This frog tends to have green skin, pale yellowish spots, yellow fingertips and translucent skin covering its stomach.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium pellucidum</i> Species of amphibian

Hyalinobatrachium pellucidum, also known as the Rio Azuela glass frog, is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found in lower montane rainforests on the Amazonian Andean slopes in Ecuador and Peru. The specific name pellucidum is Latin for "transparent" and refers to the transparent parietal peritoneum of this species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powdered glass frog</span> Species of frog

The powdered glass frog or Chiriqui glass frog is a frog species in the glass frog family (Centrolenidae). The species is found from north-central Honduras south to northwestern Ecuador.

<i>Hyalinobatrachium taylori</i> Species of amphibian

Hyalinobatrachium taylori is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. Its common name is Taylor's glass frog, and in Spanish, ranita de cristal de Taylor. It may represent at least two distinct species.

<i>Edalorhina perezi</i> Species of frog

Edalorhina perezi is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is one of the only two species in the genus Edalorhina in the family Leptodactylidae. This species is diurnal and terrestrial. During mating season both female and male frogs gather around treefall pools. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and possibly Bolivia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and freshwater marshes. The species listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List and the population is stable.

<i>Nymphargus</i> Genus of amphibians

Nymphargus is a genus of glass frogs in the subfamily Centroleninae, which was established in 2007. They are distributed in the Andean slopes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. They are characterized by lacking webbing among the outer fingers, lacking humeral spines in adult males, and having a lobed liver covered by a transparent hepatic peritoneum. They can be more specifically characterized as having a head that is darker green than the body, there being yellow spots surrounded by black on head and body, upper eyelids are dark lavender. The conservation status of the Nymphargus frogs was largely believed to be critically endangered due to the minimal research done on this genus. Once the scope of the research was broadened the conservation status was able to be determined as being vulnerable. More frogs of different variations were found increasing the genus’ population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zimmerman's poison frog</span> Species of amphibian

Ranitomeya variabilis, formerly known as Dendrodates variabilis, is a species of small poison dart frog distributed in northern Peru, along the eastern slope of Andes in the upper Rio Huallaga drainage basin. Its common name, Zimmerman's poison frog, is named after Elke Zimmermann, a German zoologist who described the morph of this species and differentiated it from D. ventrimaculatus. The species was formerly considered to be synonymous with Ranitomeya ventrimaculata.

<i>Centrolene savagei</i> Species of frog

Centrolene savagei is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae that is endemic to the Andes of western Colombia, specifically the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central. Its common name is Savage's Cochran frog.

<i>Teratohyla</i> Genus of amphibians

Teratohyla is a small genus of glassfrogs in the subfamily Centroleninae. The genus was for a while included in Centrolenella and then Cochranella, but it was resurrected in 2009. These frogs are distributed from lowlands of Central America from Honduras southwards to Pacific and Amazonian wet tropical lowlands of South America.

<i>Rulyrana</i> Genus of amphibians

Rulyrana is a small genus of glass frogs. They are found in South America, on the Amazonian slopes of the Andes in Ecuador, Peru, and possibly Bolivia, as well as on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central and the western slopes of the Cordillera Oriental in Colombia.

References

  1. 1 2 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2022). "Teratohyla midas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T54971A54997093. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T54971A54997093.en . Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Teratohyla midas (Lynch and Duellman, 1973)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  3. ↑ Lynch, J. D.; Duellman, W. E. (1973). "A review of the centrolenid frogs of Ecuador, with descriptions of new species". Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas. 16: 1–66.
  4. 1 2 3 Lynch, John D.; Duellman, William E. (1973-09-07). "A review of the Centrolenid frogs of Ecuador, with descriptions of new species". Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History, the University of Kansas. 16: 1–66. ISSN   0091-7958.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Díaz-Ricaurte, Juan C.; Guevara-Molina, Estefany Carolíne; Serrano, Filipe (2019-08-11). "Oviposition site preference and reproductive ecology of Teratohyla midas (Anura: Centrolenidae) in the Colombian Amazon". Journal of Natural History. 53 (29–30): 1811–1822. doi:10.1080/00222933.2019.1668490. ISSN   0022-2933. S2CID   208574860.
  6. ↑ "midas | Etymology, origin and meaning of the name midas by etymonline". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  7. ↑ Pontes, Rafael; Mattedi, Camila (2013-12-01). "An unexpected record of Teratohyla midas (Lynch and Duellman, 1973) in Brazil reveals the presence of glass frogs in the Brazilian northern lowlands (Anura: Centrolenidae)". Check List. 9 (6): 1590. doi: 10.15560/9.6.1590 . ISSN   1809-127X.
  8. ↑ Castro Araújo, Kássio; Pansonato, André; Oliveira, Rosa Hermina; Moraisa, Drausio Honório; Carvalho, Vinicius Tadeu; Ávila, Robson Waldemar (2018-03-09). "Advertisement call and new distribution records from Brazil of Teratohyla midas (Lynch & Duellman, 1973) (Anura, Centrolenidae)". Check List. 14 (2): 303–308. doi: 10.15560/14.2.303 . ISSN   1809-127X.
  9. ↑ Quiroga-Carmona, Marcial; Naveda-Rodríguez, Adrián (December 2014). "Crested Quetzal (Pharomachrus antisianus) preying on a Glassfrog (Anura, Centrolenidae) in Sierra de Perijá, northwestern Venezuela". Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia. 22 (4): 419–421. doi: 10.1007/bf03544279 . ISSN   2178-7875.
  10. ↑ Castroviejo-Fisher, Santiago; Guayasamin, Juan M.; Gonzalez-Voyer, Alejandro; Vilà, Carles (2013-11-26). "Neotropical diversification seen through glassfrogs". Journal of Biogeography. 41 (1): 66–80. doi: 10.1111/jbi.12208 . hdl: 10261/89113 . ISSN   0305-0270.
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