''Leptodactylus latrans'' is a species of frog in the family
Leptodactylidae
The southern frogs form the Leptodactylidae, a name that comes from Greek meaning a bird or other animal having slender toes. They are a diverse Family (biology), family of frogs that most likely diverged from other hyloidea, hyloids during the C ...
. It is native to much of South America east of the
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
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
.
It has many common names, including ''rana criolla'', ''sapo-rana llanero'',
[Heyer, R., et al. 2010]
''Leptodactylus latrans''.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2018. butter frog, and lesser foam frog.
[''Leptodactylus latrans''.]
Amphibian Species of the World 6.0. American Museum of Natural History.
Habitat and ecology
This is a common species in many parts of its range. It can be found in a variety of habitat types, including swamps, savannah, grasslands, and tropical forest ecosystems.
[ It tolerates disturbed habitat and can be seen in gardens and urban areas.][ It breeds in temporary water bodies, such as ponds and floodplains, where it creates a foam nest for its eggs.][ In some cases, one parent, usually a female, guards the tadpoles and attacks potential predators.]
Taxonomy
This taxon is considered to be 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 ...
, or a component of one, and taxonomic studies may distinguish several different species among its populations.[Heyer, W. R. (2013)]
Morphological analyses of frogs of the Leptodactylus latrans complex (Amphibia, Leptodactylidae) from selected localities in South America.
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington: January 2014, Vol. 126(4) 369-78.
References
Further reading
* Bogart, J. P. (1974). A karyosystematic study of frogs in the genus ''Leptodactylus'' (Anura: Leptodactylidae).'' Copeia'', (3), 728–737.
* Heyer, W. R. (1969). The adaptive ecology of the species groups of the Genus ''Leptodactylus'' (Amphibia, Leptodactylidae). ''Evolution'', 23, 421–428.
* Prado, C. P. de A., Uetanabaro, M., Haddad, C F. B. (2002). Description of a new reproductive mode in ''Leptodactylus'' (Anura, Leptodactylidae), with a review of the reproductive specialization towards terrestriality in the genus.'' Copeia'', 2002(4), 221–245.
latrans
Amphibians of Argentina
Amphibians of Bolivia
Frogs of Brazil
Amphibians of Colombia
Amphibians of French Guiana
Amphibians of Guyana
Amphibians of Paraguay
Amphibians of Suriname
Amphibians of Trinidad and Tobago
Amphibians of Uruguay
Amphibians of Venezuela
Amphibians described in 1815
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{Leptodactylidae-stub