''Physalaemus olfersii'' is a species of

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 ...

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

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to southeastern Brazil and is known from

Espírito Santo Espírito Santo (, , ; ) is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, and its largest city is Serra. With an extensive coastline, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist attra ...

, southeastern

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...

, and São Paulo states. Records further south (southern São Paulo, Paraná, and Santa Catarina) refer to '' Physalaemus lateristriga'', which was restored from the

synonymy A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

of ''Physalaemus olfersii'' in 2010. Common name Atlantic Forest dwarf frog has been proposed for this species.

Etymology

The specific name ''olfersii'' honors

Ignaz von Olfers Ignaz Franz Werner Maria von Olfers (30 August 1793 – 23 April 1871) was a German naturalist, historian and diplomat. Olfers was born in Münster. In 1816 he travelled to Brazil as a diplomat. In 1839 he was made director of the royal art col ...

, German naturalist, historian, and diplomat.

Description

Adult males measure and adult females in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the most c ...

. The body is moderately robust. The head is longer than it is wide. The snout is pointed to sub-elliptical in dorsal view and acute in lateral view. The tympanum is in distinct as is the supra-tympanic fold. The fingers and the toes are thin and long and have slightly expanded tips; no webbing is present. Dorsal coloration varies from light brown to gray with small, irregular, and scattered brown blotches. A median line is present on the posterior 2/3 of the dorsum. The loreal region is dark brown with some dispersed white dots. A black stripe runs from the postorbital region to the anterior margin of the gland. A weak white line runs on the

canthus rostralis In snakes and amphibians, the canthus, canthal ridge or ''canthus rostralis'',Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Ralph Curtis Books. Dubai: Oriental Press. 192 pp. . is the angle between the flat crown of the head and the ...

, becoming well marked on the border of the upper eyelid and on the dorsolateral fold. The

gular Gular is of or pertaining to the throat, and may more specifically refer to: * Gular scales in reptiles * Gular scute, or gular projection, in turtles and tortoises * Gular fold in lizards * Gular skin, or gular sac, in birds and some gibbons Ot ...

is dark gray with white dots that continue to the anterior part of the abdomen; the posterior of the abdomen is uniformly light brown. Males have a subgular

vocal sac The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs and toads. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call. The presence or development of the vocal sac is one way o ...

Habitat and conservation

''Physalaemus olfersii'' occurs in primary and secondary forest at elevations below . It lives in the leaf litter, on the ground, and in low vegetation. Breeding takes place in temporary and permanent ponds. It is a common species, although it probably can be threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2239603 olfersii Amphibians of Brazil Endemic fauna of Brazil Amphibians described in 1856 Taxa named by Hinrich Lichtenstein Taxa named by Eduard von Martens Taxonomy articles created by Polbot