''Cruziohyla sylviae'', also known as Sylvia's tree frog, is a large colourful species of

tree frog A tree frog (or treefrog) is any species of frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. Several lineages of frogs among the Neobatrachia have given rise to treefrogs, although they are not closely relat ...

from Central America.

Description and taxonomy

The species was described in 2018 by zoologist Andrew Gray, and is named after his granddaughter. It can be distinguished from the closely related '' C. calcarifer'' (Splendid Tree Frog) by having small green lichen-like markings on its dorsal surfaces rather than white or pale blue spots and lacking characteristic dark ventral markings found on the under-thighs of ''C. calcarifer'' which are characteristic of only that species of Cruziohyla. The species is also easily identified by having a large external eardrum ( tympanum), which is almost the same size as the eye, compared to an eardrum half its size, as seen in ''C. calcarifer''. DNA analysis places ''C. sylviae'' genetically closer to its sister species, '' C. craspedopus'', than to the true ''C. calcarifer'' described by George A. Boulenger in 1902.

Distribution

''C. sylviae'' occurs from Panama to Honduras, where it lives in primary forest. The type locality for the species is

Guayacán ''Guaiacum'' (''OED'' 2nd edition, 1989.Entry "guaiacum"
in
Limón Limón (), commonly known as Puerto Limón, is a district, the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the Limón canton in Costa Rica. It is the seventh largest city in Costa Rica, with a population of over 55,000, and is ho ...

province of Costa Rica. Until 2018 the species was confused with the splendid tree frog ('' C. calcarifer''), which occurs from Ecuador to Costa Rica.

References

External links

He Spent His Career Studying a Frog. Then He Discovered Its True Identity
''National Geographic''.
AmphibiaWeb
{{Taxonbar, from=Q56559107 Amphibians described in 2018 Cruziohyla Hylidae