Eleutherodactylus

Eleutherodactylus
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Eleutherodactylus".

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Eleutherodactylus

Eleutherodactylus mimus.

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Lissamphibia
Order:	Anura
Suborder:	Neobatrachia
Superfamily:	Hyloidea
Family:	Leptodactylidae
Subfamily:	Eleutherodactylinae
Genus:	Eleutherodactylus Duméril and Bibron, 1841

Species

Many, see text.

Cliff Chirping Frog, Eleutherodactylus marnockii

Eleutherodactylus is a diverse genus of leptodactylid frogs. This is typically described as the largest vertebrate genus on Earth, with over 700 species^[1], new ones being discovered almost every year.^{citation needed} Sensu stricto, however, it should exclude clades with distributions south of the Panama Canal^[2]. Many species are commonly known as "rain frogs"^[1] or "tink frogs" for their sharp, high-pitched, insect-link calls. The best known species is the Common Coquí (Eleutherodactylus coqui), which is a national symbol in Puerto Rico, and a notorious invasive species in Hawaii. Two species in this genus, E. limbatus and E. iberia, are the smallest known frogs, measuring only 8½ mm.^[3]

1 Etymology
2 Distribution and habitat
3 Reproduction and development
4 Phylogenetics
5 Species
6 Less closely related groups
7 Other species^{[citation needed]}
8 References

Etymology

The name "Eleutherodactylus" is derived from the Greek words for free-toed. Most species are small, slender, and cryptically colored, with 3-5 free toes. A few, such as the possibly extinct Web-footed Coquí (Eleutherodactylus karlschmidti) of Puerto Rico, have completely webbed feet. Many species, for example Cook's Robber Frog, (E. cooki), also of Puerto Rico, exhibit sexual dimorphism in size and color.

Distribution and habitat

Species of Eleutherodactylus are found throughout the Neotropics, including the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Additionally, the Common Coquí (E. coqui) has been introduced to several islands in the Hawaiian archipelago and elsewhere in the Pacific.^[4].

They may be terrestrial, arboreal, or aquatic, typically living in forests or riparian areas, and feeding primarily feed upon arthropods. Many Eleutherodactylus species have highly restricted ranges and are found on only one island or in one or a few localities. Even some of these restricted species can occur at very high densities.

Reproduction and development

All species of Eleutherodactylus are characterized by direct development, in which eggs hatch directly into small frogs, completely bypassing the tadpole stage. This adaptation may be largely responsible for their ecological and evolutionary success. Most species of Eleutherodactylus are characterized by parental behaviors such as egg guarding by either the male or female parent. In some cases, even young froglets are attended by parents. Another extinct Puerto Rican species, the Golden coquí (Eleutherodactylus jasperi), gave birth to live young.

Phylogenetics

The basis of forming this genus has been morphological, but sequence comparisons of protein-encoding DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and Ribosomal RNA have shown that geographic range is a much more consistent predictor of cladistics for this group of frogs. The climbing habits characteristic of many species have evolved independently. All true members of the genus have been clustered into subgenera, but many less related species require more genetic data before they are to be officially classified elsewhere. The theory that the Eleutherodactyline colonisation of Central America and the Caribbean from their origins in South America occurred during the Cretaceous has fallen out of favor. The fossil record combined with molecular clock analyses indicate that the subgenera were probably founded by small groups of individuals by flotsam dispersal during the Eocene or Oligocene. Land bridges would have been limited to facilitating dispersal between West Indian islands, however the Oligocene division of Hispaniola and Cuba resulted in further speciation. The distribution of subgenus Syrrhopus is most likely due to a secondary dispersal to Central America from the Greater Antilles during the Miocene. The formation of the Panama Isthmus during the Pliocene has caused some intercontinental distribution among the clades, although only twenty "South American frogs" have ever made it northwards after the original colonisation. ^[2]