Eleutherodactylus zugi

Eleutherodactylus zugi is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is endemic to western Cuba and is known from Pinar del Río and Artemisa provinces.[3][4][5][6] The specific name zugi honors George Robert Zug [de],[2] an American herpetologist.[7] Common names Rosario red-legged frog[6] and Zug's robber frog have been coined for it.[3][7] Eleutherodactylus erythroproctus was originally described as a subspecies of Eleutherodactylus zugi,[3][4] and is sometimes still treated as such.[5]

Eleutherodactylus zugi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Eleutherodactylidae
Genus: Eleutherodactylus
Subgenus: Euhyas
Species:
E. zugi
Binomial name
Eleutherodactylus zugi
Synonyms[3]
  • Euhyas zugi (Schwartz, 1958)

Description edit

Eleutherodactylus zugi is a small species: adult males measure 12–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) and adult females 13–19 mm (0.5–0.7 in) in snout–vent length. The snout is rather acute. The tympanum is visible and larger in females than in males of the same size. The fingers and toes are short and have no webbing. The dorsum is warty, including a raised middorsal line. The throat and the venter are smooth. There are three basic color patterns. The first type has a dark brown to tan middorsal zone that is bounded by a broad yellow or orange dorsolateral stripe. The second type has a pair of dorsolateral stripes that end dorsally, and a thin middorsal line. The third type has a mottled dorsum, without indications of dorsolateral bands or stripes.[2]

Habitat and conservation edit

Eleutherodactylus zugi occurs in mesic broadleaf forests at elevations of 155–390 m (509–1,280 ft) above sea level.[1] The type series was collected from wet shrubs few inches above the ground, and under less wet conditions, under palm trash and other debris. At night they may climb on moist rocks.[2] The eggs are deposited on the ground. Development is direct, without free-living larval stage.[1]

Eleutherodactylus zugi is a rare species with a restricted range. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by agriculture, infrastructure development, and tourism. Agricultural pollution may also be a threat. The range of this species overlaps with several protected areas, but many of these would require improved management.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Blair Hedges, Luis Díaz (2004). "Eleutherodactylus zugi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T57069A11576647. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T57069A11576647.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Schwartz, Albert (1958). "Another new species of Eleutherodactylus (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae) from western Cuba". Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. 48: 127–131. JSTOR 24534532.
  3. ^ a b c d Frost, Darrel R. (2019). "Eleutherodactylus zugi Schwartz, 1958". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  4. ^ a b Rivalta González, V.; Rodríguez Schettino, L.; Mancina, C. A. & Iturriaga, M. (2014). Amphbians of Cuba: checklist and geographic distributions. Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service. Vol. 145. pp. 32–33.
  5. ^ a b Díaz, L. M. & Cádiz, A. (2008). Guía Taxonómica de los Anfibios de Cuba. Abc Taxa: A Series of Manual Dedicated to Capacity Building in Taxonomy and Collection Management. Vol. 4. Brussels, Belgium: Belgian Development Cooperation. pp. 65–66.
  6. ^ a b Hedges, S. Blair (2015). "Cuba: Eleutherodactylidae". Caribherp: Amphibians and reptiles of Caribbean Islands. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  7. ^ a b Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael & Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 241. ISBN 978-1-907807-42-8.