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''Leptopelis'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...
s in the family Arthroleptidae. They are found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding Madagascar. It is placed in monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...
subfamily Leptopelinae, although this subfamily is not always recognized. They have a number of common names, including forest treefrogs, tree frogs, leaf-frogs, and big-eyed frogs.
Description
''Leptopelis'' are mostly medium-sized frogs (snout–vent length ), but '' Leptopelis palmatus'' can reach . Tympanum is present. Most species have expended digit tips.Ecology
''Leptopelis'' are mainlyarboreal
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. The habitats pose nu ...
, but some species, especially in more arid areas, are terrestrial or even sub fossorial. Breeding typically starts with the heavy rains in the beginning of the wet season. Eggs may be deposited either in water or in/on the ground. Development includes a free-living tadpole
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 ...
stage, with a possible exception of '' Leptopelis brevirostris'', whose large eggs suggest that development could be direct. Males typically call in bushes or trees a meter or more above the ground.
Species
As of July 2021, there are 54 recognized species:
In captivity
''L. vermiculatus'' is found in international pet trade. They are hardy frogs that adapt well to captivity, and readily consume commercially availablecrickets
Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets, and, more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 8 ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1306850 Arthroleptidae Amphibian genera Amphibians of Sub-Saharan Africa Taxa named by Albert Günther