''Synapturanus salseri'' 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

Microhylidae 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 ...

. It lives in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

, and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s and freshwater

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

s. It is 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 ...

. ''Synapturanus salseri'' are shy and spend almost all of their time in burrows beneath the forest floor. During the rainy season, males give off a brief whistle as a mating call. They mate only after periods of heavy precipitation. Mating takes place in burrows, since these frogs seldom venture out. Females lay a few large eggs into the burrow. The hatched tadpoles do not feed but live on the stored yolk until they undergo metamorphosis. The diet of adult S. salseri frogs consists of ants and spiders (Zweifel, 2003). The frog was originally discovered by William F. Pyburn (former head of the biology department of the University of Texas at Arlington) and J. K. Salser Jr., an amateur biologist. While collecting specimens in the Colombian rain forest near the village of Timbo on the Vaupes River, Pyburn heard the frog call. Using flashlights to triangulate the call the two determined where the call originated and began searching for the frog. After the leaf litter on the forest floor had been removed it became apparent that the frog was underground and it was captured after a careful excavation.

References

Sources

* CalPhotos Synapturanus salseri; Timbo Disc Frog (detail page

Synapturanus, salseri Frogs of Brazil Amphibians of Colombia Amphibians of Venezuela Amphibians described in 1975 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Microhylidae-stub