The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family of frogs. The 683 species are in 63 genera and 11 subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.

Evolution

A molecular phylogenetic study by van der Meijden, et al. (2007) has estimated the initial internal divergence of the family Microhylidae to have taken place about 66 million years ago, or immediately after the

Cretaceous extinction The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...

event. The most recent common ancestor of the Microhylidae and their closest ranoid relatives is estimated to have lived 116 million years ago in

Gondwana Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final stages ...

Description

As suggested by their name, microhylids are mostly small frogs. Many species are below in length, although some species are as large as . They can be arboreal or terrestrial, and some even live close to water. The ground-dwellers are often found under leaf litter within forests, occasionally venturing out at night to hunt. The two main shapes for the microhylids are wide bodies and narrow mouths and normal frog proportions. Those with narrow mouths generally eat termites and ants, and the others have diets typical of most frogs. Egg-laying habits are highly varied.

Reproduction

The microhylids of New Guinea and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

completely bypass the tadpole stage, with direct development from

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...

to frog. The arboreal species can therefore lay the eggs within the trees, and never need venture to the ground. Where species do have tadpoles, these almost always lack the teeth or horny beaks typical of the tadpoles of other families.

Anatomy

The skull has paired palatines and frontoparietals. The facial nerve passes through the anterior acoustic foramen in the auditory capsule; the trigeminal and facial nerve ganglia are fused to form a prootic ganglion. The eight (or seven) presacral holochordal vertebrae are all procoelous except for a biconcave surface on last presacral. The pectoral girdle is firmisternal and some show reduced clavicle and procoracoids. The terminal phalanges are blunt, pointed, or T-shaped. The tadpole lacks keratinized mouth parts and has a large spiracular chamber emptied by a caudomedial spiracle.

Taxonomy

* subfamily

Adelastinae ''Adelastes'' is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is the only genus in the subfamily Adelastinae and is also itself monotypic, being represented by the single species, ''Adelastes hylonomos'', commonly known as the Neblina Frog.

Peloso, Frost, Richards, Rodrigues, Donnellan, Matsui, Raxworthy, Biju, Lemmon, Lemmon, & Wheeler, 2015 ** genus ''

Adelastes ''Adelastes'' is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is the only genus in the subfamily Adelastinae and is also itself monotypic, being represented by the single species, ''Adelastes hylonomos'', commonly known as the Neblina Frog.

'' Zweifel, 1986 * subfamily

Asterophryinae Asterophryinae is a subfamily of microhylid frogs distributed in an area from the Peninsular Malaysia through the Malay Archipelago to northern Australia. Genera The following genera are recognised in the subfamily Asterophryinae: The most sp ...

Günther, 1858 ** genus ''

Aphantophryne ''Aphantophryne'' is a genus of microhylid frogs found in New Guinea and in Mindanao, the Philippines. Originally described by Fry in 1917, Richard G. Zweifel considered in 1956 ''Aphantophryne'' synonymous to ''Cophixalus''. The genus was resu ...

'' Fry, 1917 ** genus ''

Asterophrys ''Asterophrys'' is a genus of microhylid frogs found in New Guinea. Their common name is New Guinea bush frogs, although this name may also specifically refer to ''Asterophrys turpicola''. ''Asterophrys'' are moderate to large-sized microhylid ...

'' Tschudi, 1838 ** genus '' Austrochaperina'' Fry, 1912 ** genus '' Barygenys'' Parker, 1936 ** genus '' Callulops'' Boulenger, 1888 ** genus '' Choerophryne'' Van Kampen, 1914 ** genus '' Cophixalus'' Boettger, 1892 ** genus ''

Copiula ''Copiula'' is a genus of Microhylidae, microhylid frogs endemic to New Guinea. The common name Mehely frogs has been coined for them. They are leaf-litter inhabitants. Taxonomy ''Copiula'' is probably not monophyletic. Some former ''Austrochape ...

'' Méhely, 1901 ** genus ''

Gastrophrynoides ''Gastrophrynoides'' is a small genus of microhylid frogs. There are two species known from the Malay Peninsula and Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic ce ...

'' Noble, 1926 ** genus ''

Hylophorbus ''Hylophorbus'' is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to New Guinea. Common name Mawatta frogs has been coined for them. Molecular data suggest that ''Hylophorbus'' is monophyletic and that its sister taxon is ''Callulops ''Callulops'' is a ...

'' Macleay, 1878 ** genus ''

Mantophryne ''Mantophryne'' is a genus of microhylid frogs. The genus is found in New Guinea, Louisiade Archipelago, and Woodlark Island Woodlark Island, known to its inhabitants simply as Woodlark or Muyua, is the main island of the Woodlark Islands arc ...

'' Boulenger, 1897 ** genus ''

Oninia ''Oninia'' is a genus of frogs belonging to the family Microhylidae. The species of this genus are found in New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New ...

'' Günther, Stelbrink & von Rintelen, 2010 ** genus ''

Oreophryne ''Oreophryne'', the cross frogs, is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to Southern Philippine, Celebes and the Lesser Sunda Islands, and New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just ...

'' Boettger, 1895 ** genus ''

Paedophryne ''Paedophryne'' (from the Ancient Greek ''paedos'' (παίδος) "child" and ''phryne'' (φρύνος) "toad, frog") is a genus of microhylid frogs from Papua New Guinea, including D'Entrecasteaux Islands. All seven species known so far are a ...

'' Kraus, 2010 ** genus ''

Siamophryne ''Siamophryne'' is a genus of frog found in Thailand. It is monotypic, consisting of only one species, the Tenasserim cave frog (''Siamophryne troglodytes''). Its closest relative is the genus ''Vietnamophryne''. The genus ''Siamophryne'' was f ...

'' Suwannapoom, Sumontha, Tunprasert, Ruangsuwan, Pawangkhanant, Korost, and Poyarkov, 2018 ** genus ''

Sphenophryne ''Sphenophryne'' is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae from New Guinea. It reached its current composition in 2017 when Rivera and colleagues brought the genera ''Genyophryne'', ''Liophryne'', and ''Oxydactyla'' into synonymy of the the ...

'' Peters & Doria, 1878 ** genus ''

Vietnamophryne ''Vietnamophryne'' (common name: Indochinese dwarf frogs; Vietnamese: ''nhái lùn''; Thai: ''ueng tham khrae'', ) is a divergent genus of Asterophryinae frogs found in Indochina. Its closest relative is the genus '' Siamophryne''. The genus ''V ...

'' Poyarkov, Suwannapoom, Pawangkhanant, Aksornneam, Duong, Korost and Che, 2018 ** genus ''

Xenorhina ''Xenorhina'' is a genus of microhylid frogs. The genus is endemic to New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding ...

'' Peters, 1863 * subfamily

Chaperininae ''Chaperina'' is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is the only genus in the subfamily Chaperininae. It is also itself monotypic, being represented by the single species, ''Chaperina fusca'', commonly known as the brown thorny frog, ...

Peloso, Frost, Richards, Rodrigues, Donnellan, Matsui, Raxworthy, Biju, Lemmon, Lemmon, & Wheeler, 2015 ** genus ''

Chaperina ''Chaperina'' is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is the only genus in the subfamily Chaperininae. It is also itself monotypic, being represented by the single species, ''Chaperina fusca'', commonly known as the brown thorny frog, ...

'' Mocquard, 1892 * subfamily Cophylinae Cope, 1889 ** genus ''

Anilany ''Anilany helenae'' is a species of frog in the microyhlid subfamily Cophylinae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Anilany'', and is endemic to central Madagascar. Taxonomy This species was originally described by Denis Vallan in ...

'' Scherz, Vences, Rakotoarison, Andreone, Köhler, Glaw, and Crottini, 2016 ** genus ''

Anodonthyla ''Anodonthyla'' is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar. Molecular data suggest that it is the sister taxon to all other species in the subfamily Cophylinae Cophylinae is a subfamily of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar. I ...

'' Müller, 1892 ** genus ''

Cophyla ''Cophyla'' is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island cou ...

'' Boettger, 1880 ** genus ''

Madecassophryne ''Madecassophryne'' is a monotypic genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is represented by the single species, ''Madecassophryne truebae''. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland fore ...

'' Guibé, 1974 ** genus '' Mini'' Scherz, Hutter, Rakotoarison, Riemann, Rödel, Ndriantsoa, Glos, Roberts, Crottini, Vences & Glaw, 2019 ** genus ''

Plethodontohyla ''Plethodontohyla'' is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar. Species There are at present 11 species: * '' Plethodontohyla alluaudi'' (Mocquard, 1901) * '' Plethodontohyla bipunctata'' (Guibé, 1974) * '' Plethodontohyla brevipes'' ...

'' Boulenger, 1882 ** genus ''

Rhombophryne ''Rhombophryne'' is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar. It is currently estimated to include more than 23 species, but only 20 of these are currently described. The common name 'diamond frog' has been proposed and used for members ...

'' Boettger, 1880 ** genus ''

Stumpffia ''Stumpffia'' is a genus of microhylid frogs that are endemic to Madagascar. They are mostly brown frogs that typically live among leaf litter. ''S. contumelia'' has a snout–vent length of about , making it one of the world's smallest frogs, ...

'' Botteger, 1881 * subfamily Dyscophinae Boulenger, 1882 ** genus '' Dyscophus'' Grandidier, 1872 * subfamily

Gastrophryninae The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family of frogs. The 683 species are in 63 genera and 11 subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family. Evolution A molecular phylo ...

Fitzinger, 1843 ** genus ''

Arcovomer ''Arcovomer'' is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species ''Arcovomer passarellii'', commonly known as Passarelli's frog. It is endemic to south-eastern Brazil and found in Espírito Sa ...

'' Carvalho, 1954 ** genus ''

Chiasmocleis ''Chiasmocleis'' is a genus of microhylid frogs. They are found in tropical South America north and east of the Andes. Their common name is humming frogs or silent frogs, the latter referring to the formerly recognized ''Syncope''. Taxonomy Ther ...

'' Méhely, 1904 ** genus ''

Ctenophryne ''Ctenophryne'' is a genus of microhylid The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family (biology), family of frogs. The 683 species are in 63 genera and 11 subfamilies, which is the largest num ...

'' Mocquard, 1904 ** genus ''

Dasypops ''Dasypops'' is a genus of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, the Rio Mutum frog (''Dasypops schirchi''). It is endemic to the coastal plain of Espírito Santo and Bahia states of eastern B ...

'' Miranda-Ribeiro, 1924 ** genus ''

Dermatonotus ''Dermatonotus'' is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, ''Dermatonotus muelleri'', commonly known as Muller's termite frog. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paragua ...

'' Méhely, 1904 ** genus ''

Elachistocleis ''Elachistocleis'' is a genus of Microhylidae, microhylid frogs found in southern America from Panama southwards. Their common name is oval frogs, although for historic reasons not all species are named so. eb application 2013. Berkeley, Cali ...

'' Parker, 1927 ** genus '' Gastrophryne'' Fitzinger, 1843 ** genus ''

Hamptophryne ''Hamptophryne'' (common name: bleating frogs) is a small genus of microhylid frogs from South America. The genus was previously monotypic, but because of the close phylogenetic relationship between ''Hamptophryne'' and ''Altigius'', another mono ...

'' Carvalho, 1954 ** genus '' Hypopachus'' Keferstein, 1867 ** genus ''

Myersiella ''Myersiella'' is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, ''Myersiella microps''. It is Endemism, endemic to southeastern Brazil and occurs in Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro (state), ...

'' Carvalho, 1954 ** genus ''

Stereocyclops ''Stereocyclops'' (common name: Brazilian dumpy frogs) is a small genus of Microhylidae, microhylid frogs. It is endemic to the Atlantic forest of eastern Brazil. Molecular phylogeny suggests that it is sister taxon to the clade containing ''Dasy ...

'' Cope, 1870 * subfamily Hoplophryninae Noble, 1931 ** genus ''

Hoplophryne ''Hoplophryne'' is a genus of microhylid frogs. The genus is endemic to mountain forests of Tanzania. They are also known as three-fingered frogs or African banana frogs (not to be confused with ''Afrixalus'', another African genus known as "ban ...

'' Barbour & Loveridge, 1928 ** genus ''

Parhoplophryne ''Parhoplophryne'' is a monotypic frog genus in the family Microhylidae. The sole species is ''Parhoplophryne usambarica'', sometimes known as the Usambara black-banded frog or Amani forest frog. It is endemic to the East Usambara Mountains in T ...

'' Barbour & Loveridge, 1928 * subfamily

Kalophryninae ''Kalophrynus'' is a genus of microhylid 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 tai ...

Mivart, 1869 ** genus ''

Kalophrynus ''Kalophrynus'' is a genus of Microhylidae, microhylid frogs. It is the only genus in the subfamily Kalophryninae. The species in this genus are found in southern China, in Southeast Asia to Java and Philippines, and in Assam, India. Species The ...

'' Tschudi, 1838 * subfamily Melanobatrachinae Noble, 1931 ** genus ''

Melanobatrachus ''Melanobatrachus'' is a genus of Microhylidae, narrow-mouthed frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is the only remaining genus in the monotypic subfamily Melanobatrachinae. It contains a single species, ''Melanobatrachus indicus'', also known ...

'' Beddome, 1878 * subfamily Microhylinae Günther, 1858 ** genus ''

Glyphoglossus ''Glyphoglossus'' is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. The genus occurs in Southeastern Asia. Common name balloon frogs has been coined for it, whereas the common name squat frogs refers to the ''Calluella'' species that are now inclu ...

'' Gunther, 1869 "1868" ** genus '' Kaloula'' Gray, 1831 ** genus '' Metaphrynella'' Parker, 1934 ** genus '' Microhyla'' Tschudi, 1838 ** genus '' Micryletta'' Dubois, 1987 ** genus '' Mysticellus'' Sonali & Biju, 2019 **genus '' Nanohyla'' ** genus ''

Phrynella ''Phrynella'' is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, ''Phrynella pulchra''. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moi ...

'' Boulenger, 1887 ** genus '' Uperodon'' Duméril & Bibron, 1841 * subfamily Otophryninae Wassersug & Pyburn, 1987 ** genus ''

Otophryne ''Otophryne'' is a small genus of microhylid frogs from northern South America. They are sometimes known as the pancake frogs. Description Adult ''Otophryne'' are diurnally active leaf mimics. They tend to walk rather than jump. Tadpole A ...

'' Boulenger, 1900 ** genus ''

Synapturanus ''Synapturanus'' is a genus of Microhylidae, microhylid frogs. They are found in northern South America. Common name disc frogs has been coined for the genus. Because of their fossorial life style, their natural history is poorly known. Ecology ...

'' Carvalho, 1954 * subfamily

Phrynomerinae ''Phrynomantis'' is a genus of frog in the family Microhylidae. They are also known as rubber frogs, red-marked frogs, red-marked short-headed frogs, and snake-necked frogs. The genus is found in Subsaharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is ...

Noble, 1931 ** genus '' Phrynomantis'' Peters, 1867 * subfamily

Scaphiophryninae The Scaphiophryninae are a subfamily of microhylid frogs native to Madagascar. Description Scaphiophryninae are small to middle-sized frogs, measuring in snout–vent length. They are terrestrial. Species living in drier environments are burr ...

Laurent, 1946 ** genus ''

Paradoxophyla ''Paradoxophyla'' is a small genus of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an ...

'' Blommers-Schlösser & Blanc, 1991 ** genus ''

Scaphiophryne ''Scaphiophryne'' is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar. Some of the species are strikingly marked, while others are highly cryptic. They are rather plump and generally found on the ground. Several species in the genus are threate ...

'' Boulenger, 1882

Range

Frogs from the Microhylidae occur throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of North America, South America, Africa, eastern India,

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Australia. Although most are found in tropical or subtropical regions, a few species can be found in arid or nontropical areas. They are the majority of frog species in New Guinea and Madagascar. The ranges of each subfamily are:De Sá, R. O., Streicher, J. W., Sekonyela, R., Forlani, M. C., Loader, S. P., Greenbaum, E., … Haddad, C. F. B. (2012). Molecular phylogeny of microhylid frogs (Anura: Microhylidae) with emphasis on relationships among New World genera. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 12, 241. http://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-12-241 * Hoplophryninae: Africa *

: Madagascar * Dyscophinae: Madagascar * Microhylinae: Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia *

, New Guinea *

: Africa *

: Southeast Asia * Otophyninae: South America * Cophylinae: Madagascar *

: New World * Melanobatrachinae: South Asia *

: Southeast Asia *

: South America

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q56057 Extant Miocene first appearances Taxa named by Albert Günther Amphibian families