Anuran Spotlight: MEULLER'S TERMITE FROG (Dermatonotus meulleri)

Meuller's Termite Frog is found in a variety of habitats where water is readily available for at least part of the year in areas of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia.


Like most of the other species in the family Microhylidae (the Narrowmouths), Termite frogs have small mouths on pointy snouts that serve them well in their diet of Termites and Ants.


Another distinctive characteristic of this family is the nuchal fold (neck fold) behind the head. For other members of this family, see Tomato Frogs and Malayan Painted Toads in earlier frog posts.


This is a common frog throughout its range, but is usually seen during rains when they come out in great numbers to breed in temporary and permanent bodies of water.


A frog in the hand beats 2 in the... never mind. This shows us the relative size of a large female. (Do we remember that usually female frogs are larger than males?)


This is a fossorial (burrowing) species, that would rather stay in an listen to some jazz and drink Chiraz than go out and carry on at the club with you.


"I'm not being judgmental. I just don't like Lady Gaga, that's all... what look on my face?"


An under view of the Meuller's. It's okay, they ain't shy.


A close up view of the hind foot of the Termite Frog shows the strong toes for digging. The extended digit of many Microhylids often wiggle when they hunt; possibly to distract or attract their insect prey.


As with many frogs and toads that spend the majority of time buried, Meuller's is an explosive breeder. This means that the entire population in a given area will breed en masse all at the same time, flooding the area with their offspring. This strategy for breeding ensures some safety in numbers for the tadpoles and toadlets.


One of my favorite frogs (the species not this individual) hides among the leaves of a forest floor with an unknown species of the family Ranidae (the True Frogs) after a rain.

RANDOM ANURAN SPOTLIGHT no. 2

A series of posts on random and awesome anuran species for those that love Amphibians.

Colorado River Toad (Bufo alvarius)


Nothing says love, like the grimace of an enormous toad. The Co. River Toad is best known for its potent skin excretions, which have been used by Native Americans as a hallucinogenic substance in cultural and religious ceremonies for hundreds of years.


Also known as the Sonoran Desert Toad, these toads are found in and around water sources in the Sonoran Desert region in Southern Arizona, SE Calif, and SW New Mexico.


This is a sizable toad, that can reach up to 7 inches in length and achieve a hefty girth. As with most frog species, the females are larger.


Notice the sizable paratoid glands (poison producing glands found behind the eyes) that are found in most toad species.


What 're YOU lookin at vato? Like all species of anuran (frogs and toads), they are carnivorous... eating any animals small enough to grab (with their mouth) and swallow.


Breeding takes place in temporary pools formed by the considerable summer rains.


The brownish tadpole will take about 1 month to metamorphose into an adult.


Fringed Leaf Frog (Cruziohyla craspedopus)


The Fringed Leaf Frog is found the rainforests of Western Amazonia; in Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Columbia, and Bolivia.


This frog is rarely seen, because it spend most of its time high in the trees where few people venture.


The pattern and "fringes" on the edges of the treefrogs limbs help it to blend in with the moss dappled surfaces of the trees and leaves they live on


The arboreal frogs only descend to the ground when cavities in fallen logs fill with water during the breeding season, where they lay their eggs.


Holy Cross or Crusifix Frog/Toad (Notaden benettii)


Crucifix Toads are found in arid areas of Eastern Australia. The name comes from the quite discernible cross pattern on the back. Although, I'm not sure how religious they are. You might think that the bright colors are to warn off predators, because of some powerful skin toxin...


However, in the case of Notaden, they defend themselves with a very sticky glue like skin secretion that gums up the mouths and fur/feathers of would be predators. The males will also glue themselves to the backs of the females temporarily for mating.


Though, in this close up picture it may seem an enormous frog, The Crucifix Toad reaches a length of only 2.5 in(male)/2.7 in(female). Their small mouths are perfect for a diet of ants and termites.


A small male calls to prospective mates. As with most anurans, it is the males that sing or call to the females. The females are believed to judge fitness as a mate, initially, on the quality of the song.


Mating usually occurs during the rainy season, when the frogs emerge from their subterranean burrows (where they have been encased in cocoons made from hardened skin secretions, to keep from losing body water).


These tiny froglets hop around in the shallows of the temporary desert pool where their parents deposited them as fertilized eggs. These pools are the main source for breeding and tadpole deposition for anurans that live in arid zones.


Side Note:

For many Anurans, that are in families other than the True Frogs (Ranidae) or True Toads (Bufonidae), you may see either the word "frog" or "toad" used for it. This can be arbitrary, based on evolutionary relationships with the aforementioned families, or based simply on appearance. Many people tend to call shorter, fatter, and/or anurans, "toad", while referring to more stream lined smoother anurans as "frog". Some people refer more terrestrial species as toads, while referring to more aquatic species as frogs. Often different people will refer to the same species by different labels. (ie. Crucifix Frog or Crucifix Toad)


Malayan Painted Toad or Malayan Painted Frog (Kaloula pulchra)?


Depends who you ask. They're fairly terrestrial and in the family Microhylidae (the Smallmouth Toads/Frogs), which is evolutionarily close to the True Toads, so I'm going with "toad" on this one.

RANDOM ANURAN SPOTLIGHT no. 1

The beginning of a series of posts on various species in the Order ANURA, the frogs and toads...

Yellow Spotted or Boulenger's Tree Toad (Pedostibes hosii)


As the name suggests, Pedostibes climbs into trees. This is not normal behavior for the usually land based toads. Notice the enlarged adhesive toe discs for better grip.


Someone is not amused with your fake British accent.


As with many members of the True Toad family (Bufonidae), The Yellow Spotted has prominent cranial ridges and tuberculous (bumpy or warty) skin.


Throughout its range in Southeast Asia, this toad can vary in color from green with yellow spots to orange or brown.


Let's get it on Froggies! The smaller and more drably colored male amplexes (amplexus - the breeding embrace of anurans) the female in this laboratory container.


One of the elusive tadpoles of P. hosii in an aquarium in Borneo


Tomato Frog (Discophis antongilii)


The Tomato Frog is endemic (only found there) to Madagascar (as are 99.6 % of the frogs in Madagascar), where it is found in a variety of habitats near water.


Punks step up to get beat down! The Tomato makes a threat posture, lifting itself up and inflating. If seized it can release a mildly poisonous and sticky solution from its skin.


As with all frogs, when swallowing they must use the backs of the eyes to help push down food, a this Tomato Frog does. Anurans do not have the same esophageal muscles we do to aid in downing food, usually small invertebrates.


As with many of the Malagasy (from Madagascar) fauna (animals), they are listed as near threatened from habitat destruction.


Amplexus shows us a comparison of the male and female, both in size and pattern. The male is on top, and will not release sperm until the female releases her eggs in water. Fertilization is usually external for Anurans.


Coronated or Crowned Treefrog (Anotheca spinosa)


THEY GIVES US THE PRECIOUS!!! This entirely arboreal species of frog emerges from its lair.


The spike like projections found on the head that give the frog its name


The juvenile frogs lack the crown.


Crowned Treefrogs are found in Cloud Forests (montane rainforests) in the lower half of Central America (from Costa Rica to Panama).


The adults mate in tree cavities and bamboo sections filled with water, thus not even coming down form the trees to reproduce, as many arboreal anurans do.