photo by Demian Hiß Common Name: Sira Poison FrogScientific Name: Ranitomeya sirensisFamily: Dendrobatidae - Poison Dart Frog familyLocation: Bolivia, Brazil, and PeruSize: 0.6 - 0.7 inches (15 - 17 mm) The Sira Poison Frog belongs to the genus Ranitomeya, nick named the Fingernail Dart Frogs due to their incredibly small size that allows them to… Continue reading Sira Poison Frog (Ranitomeya sirensis)
Category: Family Friday
Harlequin Toads (Atelopus)
Family: Bufonidae - True Toad familyNumber of Species: 97Location: Central and South America The members of the genus Atelopus are commonly referred to as the Harlequin Toads or Stubfoot Toads. There are many members of the genus but the majority of them are endangered of becoming extinct. Many species in the genus haven't been seen… Continue reading Harlequin Toads (Atelopus)
Rhinatrematidae – American Tailed Caecilians
photo from Leandro J.C.L. Moraes, Alexandre P. de Almeida, Rafael de Fraga, Rommel R. Zamora, Renata M. Pirani, Ariane A.A. Silva, VinÃcius T. de Carvalho, Marcelo Gordo, Fernanda P. Werneck. Number of Genera: 2 - Epicrionops and RhinatremaNumber of Species: 11 The family Rhinatrematidae is one of the most ancient families of caecilians. Members of the… Continue reading Rhinatrematidae – American Tailed Caecilians
Sooglossidae – Seychelles Frogs
Gardiner's Seychelles Frog by Evan Pickett Genera: 2 - Sechellophryne and SooglossusNumber of Species: 4 The family Sooglossidae is a small family of frogs from the Seychelles Islands. They are closely related to the Purple Frogs (family Nasikabatrachidae) and some people have even added the Purple Frogs to this family. Both families are the only families… Continue reading Sooglossidae – Seychelles Frogs
Dermophiidae
Number of Genera: 4 - Dermophis, Geotrypetes, Gymnopis, and Schistometopum Number of Species: 14 The family Dermaphiidae is found in Central America, South America, Africa. Members of the family have secondary annuli and annular scales. Like most caecilians, this family is mostly fossorial (live underground). Caecilians are an understudied order of animals because of their… Continue reading Dermophiidae
Telmatobiidae
Number of Genera: 1 - TelmatobiusNumber of Species: 62 Telmatobiidae is a new family of frogs from South America. They are found up high in the Andes Mountain Range. The family used to be part of the family Leptodactylidae before being moved to it's own family in 2011. Many of the members of the family… Continue reading Telmatobiidae
Eleutherodactylidae
Suborder: NeobatrachiaNumber of Subfamilies: 2 - Eleutherodactylinae and PhyzelaphryninaeNumber of Genera: 4 - Phyzelaphryne, Adelophryne, Eleutherodactylus, and DiasporusNumber of Species: 217 Eleutherodactylidae is a family of frogs from southern North America, Central America, and northern South America. They are a family of direct developing frogs, meaning they skip the tadpole stage outside the egg besides… Continue reading Eleutherodactylidae
Typhlonectidae – Aquatic Caecilians
Number of Genera: 5 - Atretochoana, Chthonerpeton, Nectocaecilia, Potamotyphlus, and Typhlonectes Number of Species: 14 Typhlonectidae is an interesting family of Caecilians in that they are aquatic or semi aquatic. All members of the family give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. The family is found in South America.
Rhyacotritonidae – Torrent Salamanders
Photo by James Bettaso, U.S. Fish & Wildlife service Number of Genera: 1 - RhyacotritonNumber of Species: 4 - Cascade Torrent Salamander (Rhyacotriton cascadae), Columbia Torrent Salamander (Rhyacotriton kezeri), Olympic Torrent Salamander (Rhyacotriton olympicus), and Southern Torrent Salamander (Rhyacotriton variegatus) There are only four species of salamanders in this small family. The Torrent Salamanders used… Continue reading Rhyacotritonidae – Torrent Salamanders
Hynobiidae – Asiatic Salamanders
Number of Genera: 9 - Batrachuperus, Hynobius, Liua, Pachyhynobius, Paradactylodon, Pseudohynobius, Ranodon, Salamandrella, and OnychodactylusNumber of Species: 67 Hynobiidae is a family of salamanders referred to as the Asiatic Salamanders because they are found dun dun dun... in Asia. They are closely related to the Giant Salamander family - Cryptobranchidae. The family is broken into… Continue reading Hynobiidae – Asiatic Salamanders