Hylidae is a wide-ranging

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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

s commonly referred to as "

tree frog A tree frog (or treefrog) is any species of frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. Several lineages of frogs among the Neobatrachia have given rise to treefrogs, although they are not closely rela ...

s and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semiaquatic.

Taxonomy and systematics

The earliest known fossils that can be assigned to this family are from the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

of India and the state of

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

in the United States. The common name of "tree frog" is a popular name for several species of the family Hylidae. However, the name "treefrog" is not unique to this family, also being used for many species in the family

Rhacophoridae The Rhacophoridae are a family of frogs that occur in tropical sub-Saharan Africa, South India and Sri Lanka, Japan, northeastern India to eastern China and Taiwan, south through the Philippines and Greater Sundas, and Sulawesi. They ar ...

. The following genera are recognised in the family Hylidae: * Subfamily Hylinae ** Tribe Cophomantini *** '' Aplastodiscus'' – canebrake treefrogs *** '' Boana'' – gladiator treefrogs *** '' Bokermannohyla'' *** '' Hyloscirtus'' *** '' Myersiohyla'' *** '' Nesorohyla'' *** '' "Hyla" nicefori'' ** Tribe Dendropsophini ***'' Dendropsophus'' *** '' Julianus'' *** '' Lysapsus'' – harlequin frogs *** ''

Ololygon ''Scinax'' is a genus of frogs (snouted treefrogs) in the family Hylidae found in eastern and southern Mexico to Argentina and Uruguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and Saint Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island ...

'' (synonymous with ''Scinax'') *** '' Pseudis'' – swimming frogs *** '' Scarthyla'' – Madre de Dios tree frogs *** '' Scinax'' – snouted tree frogs *** '' Sphaenorhynchus'' – lime tree frogs *** ''

Xenohyla ''Xenohyla'' is a genus of tree frogs in the family Hylidae that is endemic to xeric habitats of coastal Brazil, with '' Xenohyla eugenioi'' native to the State of Bahia and the State of Sergipe, and ''Xenohyla truncata'' native to the State o ...

** Tribe Hylini *** '' Acris'' – cricket frogs *** '' Atlantihyla'' *** '' Bromeliohyla'' *** '' Charadrahyla'' *** '' Dryophytes'' – Ameroasian treefrogs *** '' Duellmanohyla'' – brook frogs *** ''

Ecnomiohyla ''Ecnomiohyla'', commonly known as fringe-limbed treefrogs or marvelous frogs, is a genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. This genus was erected in 2005 following a major revision of Hylidae. The ten original species in this genus (''E. rabboru ...

'' *** '' Exerodonta'' *** '' Hyla'' – common tree frogs *** ''

Isthmohyla ''Isthmohyla'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. This genus was erected in 2005 following a major revision of the Hylidae. The 15 species in this genus were previously placed in the genus ''Hyla''. They are endemic to Central America in ...

'' *** '' Megastomatohyla'' *** '' Plectrohyla'' – spike-thumb frogs *** '' Pseudacris'' – chorus frogs *** '' Ptychohyla'' – stream frogs *** '' Quilticohyla'' *** '' Rheohyla'' – small-eared treefrog *** '' Sarcohyla'' *** '' Smilisca'' – burrowing frogs *** '' Tlalocohyla'' *** '' Triprion'' – shovel-headed tree frogs ** Tribe Lophiohylini *** '' Aparasphenodon'' – casque-headed frogs *** '' Argenteohyla'' – Argentinian frogs *** '' Corythomantis'' – casque-headed tree frog *** '' Dryaderces'' *** '' Itapotihyla'' *** '' Nyctimantis'' – brown-eyed tree frogs *** '' Osteocephalus'' – slender-legged tree frogs *** ''

Osteopilus ''Osteopilus'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. These species have a bony co-ossification on the skull resulting in a casque, hence its name ‘bone-cap’, from '' osteo-'' (‘bone’) and the Greek ' (, ‘felt cap’). Color varie ...

'' *** '' Phyllodytes'' – heart-tongued frogs *** '' Phytotriades'' – Trinidad golden treefrogs *** ''

Tepuihyla ''Tepuihyla'', commonly known as Amazon tree frogs or Tepui tree frogs, is a genus of frogs in the family Hylidae found in mountains of eastern and south-eastern Venezuela and Guyana, and likely in adjacent Brazil. A tepui is a table-top mountai ...

'' – Amazon tree frogs *** '' Trachycephalus'' – casque-headed tree frog **

Incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...

*** '' "Hyla" imitator'' – mimic tree frog * Subfamily

Pelodryadinae Pelodryadinae, also known as Australian treefrogs (although not all members are arboreal), is a subfamily of frogs found in the region of Australia and New Guinea, and have also been introduced to New Caledonia, Guam, New Zealand, and Vanuatu. ...

(Australian tree frogs) ** '' Litoria'' ** ''

Nyctimystes ''Nyctimystes'' is a genus of tree frogs in the subfamily Pelodryadinae of the family Hylidae. They are principally Papuan species, but also inhabit islands in the Moluccas. All species in this genus have one distinct feature that separates th ...

'' ** ''

Ranoidea The Ranoidea are a superfamily of frogs in the order Anura. Members of this superfamily are characterised by having the pectoral girdle fused into a single complex unit, having no ribs, and using an axillary grip during amplexus. The larvae hav ...

'' **

*** "''Litoria''" ''castanea'' *** "''Litoria''" ''jeudii'' *** "''Litoria''" ''louisiadensis'' *** "''Litoria''" ''obtusirostris'' *** "''Litoria''" ''vagabunda'' * Subfamily

Phyllomedusinae Phyllomedusinae is a subfamily of hylid tree frogs found in the Neotropics commonly called leaf frogs. Formerly, they were often considered as their own family, Phyllomedusidae. The subfamily is considered to be the sister group to the Austr ...

(leaf frogs) ** ''

Agalychnis ''Agalychnis'' is a genus of tree frogs native to forests in Mexico, Central America and northwestern South America. Taxonomy The following species are recognised in the genus ''Agalychnis'': External links References Phyllomedus ...

'' ** ''

Callimedusa ''Callimedusa'' is a genus of 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 fossi ...

'' ** '' Cruziohyla'' ** ''

Hylomantis ''Hylomantis'' is a genus of tree frogs, the rough leaf frogs, native to the Atlantic forest in eastern Brazil. There are two recognized species; several others formerly placed in this genus now are placed in ''Agalychnis ''Agalychnis'' is a g ...

'' – rough leaf frogs ** '' Phasmahyla'' – shining leaf frogs ** '' Phrynomedusa'' – colored leaf frogs ** ''

Phyllomedusa ''Phyllomedusa'' is a genus of tree frogs in the subfamily Phyllomedusinae found in tropical and subtropical South America (south to northern Argentina) and Panama. It has 16 recognised species. Taxonomy The following species are recognise ...

'' ** ''

Pithecopus ''Pithecopus'' is a genus of frogs in the subfamily Phyllomedusinae. Species of the genus ''Pithecopus'' are found in tropical South America east of the Andes, from southern Venezuela to northern Argentina. Resurrected from the synonymy of ''P ...

'' The subfamilies

and

are sometimes classified as distinct families of their own due to their deep divergence and unique evolutionary history (with Pelodryadinae being the sister group to Phyllomedusinae and colonizing

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

during the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', ...

via

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

, which at the time was not yet frozen over), but are presently retained in the Hylidae.

Description

Most hylids show adaptations suitable for an arboreal lifestyle, including forward-facing eyes providing

binocular vision In biology, binocular vision is a type of vision in which an animal has two eyes capable of facing the same direction to perceive a single three-dimensional image of its surroundings. Binocular vision does not typically refer to vision where an ...

, and adhesive pads on the fingers and toes. In the nonarboreal species, these features may be greatly reduced, or absent.

Distribution and habitat

The European tree frog (''Hyla arborea'') is common in the middle and south of Europe, and its range extends into Asia and North Africa. North America has many species of the family Hylidae, including the

gray tree frog The gray treefrog (''Dryophytes versicolor'') is a species of small arboreal holarctic tree frog native to much of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. It is sometimes referred to as the eastern gray treefrog, northern gray tree ...

(''Hyla versicolor'') and the American green tree frog (''H. cinerea''). The spring peeper (''Pseudacris crucifer'') is also widespread in the eastern United States and is commonly heard on spring and summer evenings.

Behaviour and ecology

Species of the genus ''

Cyclorana ''Ranoidea'' is a genus of frogs in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. They are found in Australia, New Guinea, and two nearby groups of islands: the Maluku Islands, and the Louisiade Archipelago. The circumscription of this taxon is still controve ...

'' are

burrow An Eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of s ...

ing frogs that spend much of their lives underground.

Breeding

Hylids lay their eggs in a range of different locations, depending on species. Many use ponds, or puddles that collect in the holes of their trees, while others use

bromeliad The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, ...

s or other water-holding plants. Other species lay their eggs on the leaves of vegetation hanging over water, allowing the

tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found ...

s to drop into the pond when they hatch. A few species use fast-flowing streams, attaching the eggs firmly to the substrate. The tadpoles of these species have suckers enabling them to hold on to rocks after they hatch. Another unusual adaptation is found in some South American hylids, which brood the eggs on the back of the female. The tadpoles of most hylid species have laterally placed eyes and broad tails with narrow, filamentous tips.

Feeding

Hylids mostly feed on insects and other invertebrates, but some larger species can feed on small vertebrates.

Gallery

Image:Hyla gray treefrog.jpg, '' Dryophytes versicolor'', North American gray tree frog Image:Hylidae 001.jpg, ''Hyla japonica'', Japanese tree frog Image:Masked tree frog swimming.JPG, '' Smilisca phaeota'', Osa Peninsula,

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

References

*''This article incorporates text from the ''Collier's New Encyclopedia'' (1921).''

External links

Amnh.org: Amphibian Species of the World
{{Authority control Amphibian families Extant Thanetian first appearances Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque

Taxonomy and systematics

Description

Distribution and habitat

Behaviour and ecology

Breeding

Feeding

Gallery

References

Further reading

External links