The parsley frogs or Pelodytidae are a family of

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Anura. The family consists of a single genus, ''Pelodytes'', which contains five species. These frogs can be found in south-western Europe and the Caucasus. The common name of "parsley frogs" comes from the

common parsley frog The common parsley frog (''Pelodytes punctatus'') is a species of frog in the genus ''Pelodytes''. It lives in the Iberian region in south-western Europe. Description The common parsley frog (''Pelodytes punctatus'') is a very small and slen ...

which, because of its colouring, appears to be garnished with

parsley Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to the central and eastern Mediterranean region (Sardinia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, southern Italy, Greece, Por ...

. Parsley frogs are typical-looking frogs closely related to European spadefoot toads and megophryids, but differ largely in appearance. Their

cryptic Cryptic may refer to: In science: * Cryptic species complex, a group of species that are very difficult to distinguish from one another * Crypsis, the ability of animals to blend in to avoid observation * Cryptic era, earliest period of the Earth ...

colouring is not as strong as in many megophryids, but they are still quite well-camouflaged, usually being green or brown. Unlike the European spadefoot toads, they lack hardened protrusions on their feet, although they are still

fossorial A fossorial () animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily, but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, meerkats, and mole salamanders, as well as many beetles, wasps, and bees. Prehistoric eviden ...

, and are generally slender. The parsley frogs are small, smooth-skinned frogs, reaching a length of . They are one of the few families of frogs which contain more known extinct species and genera (two or three) than extant species. Although now found only in the Palearctic realm, fossils of a mid- Miocene species were also found in North America.

Taxonomy

* Family Pelodytidae ** Genus ''Pelodytes'' *** ''Pelodytes atlanticus'' –

Lusitanian parsley frog ''Pelodytes atlanticus'', the Lusitanian parsley frog, is a species of frog in the family Pelodytidae, known as "parsley frogs" because of their green speckles. This species is only found in Portugal. Description Adult Lusitanian parsley frogs ...

*** ''Pelodytes caucasicus'' – Caucasian parsley frog *** ''Pelodytes hespericus'' –

Hesperides' parsley frog ''Pelodytes hespericus'', the Hesperides' parsley frog, is a species of frog in the family Pelodytidae, This species is only found in Spain. It is a poorly known species. Distribution and habitat The Hesperides' parsley frog is endemic to Spa ...

*** ''Pelodytes ibericus'' –

Iberian parsley frog The Iberian parsley frog (''Pelodytes ibericus'') is a species of frogs in the family Pelodytidae, known as "parsley frogs" because of their green speckles. This species is only found in Portugal and Spain; in Spanish it is known as ''sapillo mo ...

*** ''Pelodytes punctatus'' –

Common parsley frog The common parsley frog (''Pelodytes punctatus'') is a species of frog in the genus ''Pelodytes''. It lives in the Iberian region in south-western Europe. Description The common parsley frog (''Pelodytes punctatus'') is a very small and slen ...

References

* * Pelodytidae Extant Lutetian first appearances Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte Palearctic realm biota {{Mesobatrachia-stub