The Peralta frog, or montane leopard frog, ''Lithobates taylori'', is a species of frog in the family Ranidae found in

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

and Nicaragua.

Etymology

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 ...

''taylori'' honors Edward Harrison Taylor (1889–1978), an American herpetologist.

Description

Peralta frogs are relatively large frogs, in snout–vent length. Colouration of dorsum is tan, green, or gray, often with large elongated black spots with clear edges. The

dorsolateral fold Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...

s are clear but become discontinuous towards the back. Belly is white. Feet are extensively webbed.

Habitat and conservation

Peralta frog is a

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 ...

, semi-aquatic frog inhabiting ponds, swamps, and marshes in lowland wet forest, premontane moist and wet forests, and rainforest. Breeding takes place during the wet season. The eggs are attached to aquatic vegetation. The tadpoles develop in these wetlands. It may be threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation, possibly by also water pollution from agricultural pesticides.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3061602 Lithobates Amphibians of Costa Rica Amphibians of Nicaragua Amphibians described in 1959 Taxa named by Hobart Muir Smith Taxonomy articles created by Polbot