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''Hemiphractus'' is a genus of
''Hemiphractus'' are believed to be specialized predators of other frogs, and hence confined to areas with high density of frogs. Nevertheless, they have also been recorded feeding on lizards, large insects and snails in the wild, and in addition to other frogs captive ''Hemiphractus'' will eat geckos, newborn mice and earthworms.
They can threaten any would-be predator by opening their mouth, exposing the bright yellow inside and tongue. If this fails to scare an adversary, they willingly bite, which is relatively painful for a frog of their size.
Female frogs carry eggs openly on their back; the eggs adhere to the mother's back with gelatinous material. Eggs hatch as fully developed froglets. ''H. elioti'' (previously included in ''H. fasciatus'') are bred and maintained by the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in Panama. Although they have proven relatively difficult to keep in captivity, keeping and breeding has been achieved at levels where its conservation through such measures is considered possible, although (as of 2015 where the total captive population was 36 individuals) additional founders are necessary.
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...
s, the horned treefrogs, in the family Hemiphractidae
The Hemiphractidae are a family (biology), family of frogs from South America, South and Central America. Previously, this group had been classified as a subfamily (Hemiphractinae) under family Hylidae. More recent research classifies these gen ...
. These overall brownish frogs have a pointed snout and a casque on the head. They are nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
, relatively rare and native to humid lowland and highland forests in northern South America (Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
east as far as Tapajós
The Tapajós ( pt, Rio Tapajós ) is a river in Brazil. It runs through the Amazon Rainforest and is a major tributary of the Amazon River. When combined with the Juruena River, the Tapajós is approximately long. It is one of the largest clearw ...
, Chocó-Magdalena and northern Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
) and Panama, where typically found on the ground or at relatively low levels in vegetation.
Description
''Hemiphractus'' are robust-bodied frogs. The genus is characterized by a fleshy proboscis on the tip of the snout and fleshy tubercles on the eyelids, skull that is highly casqued with prominent lateraloccipital
The occipital bone () is a cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone overlies the occipital lobes of the cereb ...
processes projecting backwards, and fang-like maxillary and premaxillary teeth. Females grow larger than males, and depending on exact species the snout–to–vent length generally is between .
Behaviour
''Hemiphractus'' are believed to be specialized predators of other frogs, and hence confined to areas with high density of frogs. Nevertheless, they have also been recorded feeding on lizards, large insects and snails in the wild, and in addition to other frogs captive ''Hemiphractus'' will eat geckos, newborn mice and earthworms.
They can threaten any would-be predator by opening their mouth, exposing the bright yellow inside and tongue. If this fails to scare an adversary, they willingly bite, which is relatively painful for a frog of their size.
Female frogs carry eggs openly on their back; the eggs adhere to the mother's back with gelatinous material. Eggs hatch as fully developed froglets. ''H. elioti'' (previously included in ''H. fasciatus'') are bred and maintained by the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in Panama. Although they have proven relatively difficult to keep in captivity, keeping and breeding has been achieved at levels where its conservation through such measures is considered possible, although (as of 2015 where the total captive population was 36 individuals) additional founders are necessary.
Species
The following species are recognized in the genus ''Hemiphractus ''. * '' Hemiphractus bubalus'' (Jiménez de la Espada, 1871) * '' Hemiphractus elioti'' Hill, Martin, Stanley, and Mendelson, 2018 * ''Hemiphractus fasciatus
''Hemiphractus fasciatus'', or the banded horned treefrog, is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is found in northwestern Ecuador and possibly the Pacific slopes of the Cordillera Occidental in Colombia; although formerly liste ...
'' Peters, 1862
* ''Hemiphractus helioi
''Hemiphractus helioi'' is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is found in the upper Amazon basin and lower Amazonian slopes of the Andes from Ecuador to southern Peru and into adjacent Brazil (Acre). There is also a disputed recor ...
'' Sheil & Mendelson, 2001
* ''Hemiphractus johnsoni
''Hemiphractus johnsoni'', or the Johnson's horned treefrog, is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is endemic to Colombia and known from the Cordillera Central in Antioquia and Caldas Departments as well as from the Cordillera ...
'' (Noble, 1917)
* '' Hemiphractus kaylockae'' Hill, Martin, Stanley, and Mendelson, 2018
* '' Hemiphractu panamensis'' (Stejneger, 1917)
* '' Hemiphractus proboscideus'' (Jiménez de la Espada, 1871)
* '' Hemiphractus scutatus'' (Spix, 1824)
Until 2001, populations now recognized as ''H. helioi'' were typically included in ''H. johnsoni'', and until 2018 populations now recognized as ''H. elioti'', ''H. kaylockae'' and ''H. panamensis'' were typically included in ''H. fasciatus''. Colombian "''H. fasciatus''" may represent a currently unrecognized species (thus limiting true ''H. fasciatus'' to Ecuador), and it is possible that ''H. scutatus'' is a species complex
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q510491 Hemiphractidae Amphibians of South America Amphibians of Central America Amphibian genera Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler