''Engystomops freibergi'' is a

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" '' Triadobatrachus'' is ...

native to the Amazonian

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 ...

, southeastern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, and Amazonian

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

. For a while, it was considered to be a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are al ...

of ''

Engystomops petersi ''Engystomops petersi'' (common name: Peters' dwarf frog) is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is found in Amazon rainforest, Amazonian Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It is morphologically similar to its sibling species, ''Engysto ...

'', its

sibling species In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

, but its species status was resurrected in a study published in 1998. Nevertheless, these two species have also been mixed in later studies, and there are records from the

Guianas The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France * ...

that have not yet been allocated to either species.

Divergence In vector calculus, divergence is a vector operator that operates on a vector field, producing a scalar field giving the quantity of the vector field's source at each point. More technically, the divergence represents the volume density of t ...

of these two species seems to have been driven by behavioural isolation related to

male call ''Male Call'' is an American comic strip series created and drawn by Milton Caniff on a volunteer basis, exclusively for US military publications during World War II. The strip began January 24, 1943. Caniff continued ''Male Call'' until seven ...

characteristics more than

geographic isolation Allopatric speciation () – also referred to as geographic speciation, vicariant speciation, or its earlier name the dumbbell model – is a mode of speciation that occurs when biological populations become geographically isolated from ...

Description

''Engystomops freibergi'' are relatively small frogs. Males measure in snout–vent length and females . Dorsal colouration is variable. Skin on dorsum is warty, bearing small tubercles with scattered larger tubercles.

Habitat

''Engystomops freibergi'' is a locally common species found in lowland Amazon rainforest. These frogs are

nocturnal Nocturnality is an ethology, animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have ...

and usually found in the leaf litter in primary forest. They feed primarily on

termite Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes ( eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blat ...

Reproduction

The breeding period coincides with the rainy season (December–March). Males call at night near temporary ponds and slow-moving streams. The call consists of a prefix and a "whine" component, and in some populations, a third "squawk" component. Foam nests are deposited on the surface of ponds.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4674085 freibergi Amphibians of Bolivia Amphibians of Brazil Amphibians of Peru Amphibians described in 1969