''Eleutherodactylus gossei'' is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is endemic to Jamaica where it is widespread. An introduced population existed in Bermuda but appears to have been extirpated. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''gossei'' honors Philip Henry Gosse, an English naturalist, missionary, and science writer. Its common names are Jamaican forest frog and Spaldings robber frog, the latter apparently after Spaldings, its type locality.

Subspecies

Two

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are recognized: * ''Eleutherodactylus gossei gossei'' Dunn, 1926 * ''Eleutherodactylus gossei oligaulax''

Schwartz Schwartz may refer to: *Schwartz (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name) *Schwartz (brand), a spice brand *Schwartz's, a delicatessen in Montreal, Quebec, Canada *Schwartz Publishing, an Australian publishing house *"Danny Schwartz" ...

and Fowler, 1973

Description

Adult ''Eleutherodactylus gossei gossei'' males measure and females in snout–vent length. The most common pattern of the dorsum is mottled or unicolor, depending on the area. Specimens with dorsolateral stripes, middorsal hairline, or purple stripes are less frequent. The ground color is a shade of brown, ranging from rich reddish brown to tan. The venter is usually creamy to faintly yellowish, whereas the throat is highly variable. The groin and the concealed surfaces are red (or pink) to orange. ''Eleutherodactylus gossei oligaulax'' is only found in extreme eastern parts of Jamaica and is smaller than the nominotypical subspecies. Males grow to a snout–vent length of and females to . Most individual have a middorsal hairline in their dorsum or are unicolor. Individuals with dorsolateral stripes are common whereas mottled individuals are rare.

Habitat and conservation

''Eleutherodactylus gossei'' occurs in a variety of mesic habitats, including rural gardens and former forests, at elevations below . It is widespread and can be common in suitable habitat. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by, for example, intensive agricultural practices and infrastructure development. It occurs in the

Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park is a national park in Jamaica. The park covers 495.2 km2 and accounts for 4.5% of Jamaica's land surface. It gets its name from the Blue Mountains, the mountain range that runs through it, as well ...

and in some forest reserves.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eleutherodactylus Gossei gossei Amphibians of Jamaica Endemic fauna of Jamaica Taxa named by Emmett Reid Dunn Amphibians described in 1926 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot