''Eleutherodactylus pentasyringos'', also known as John Crow yellow-bellied frog and tube robber frog, is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

in the family

Eleutherodactylidae The Eleutherodactylidae are a family of direct-developing frogs native to northern South America, the Caribbean, and southernmost North America. They are sometimes known under the common name rain frogs. Formerly the subfamily Eleutherodactylina ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''pentasyringos'' is derived from Greek and means "calling five times", in allusion to the male advertisement call that typically consists of five "took"-notes.

Description

Males grow to and females to in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the mos ...

. The head is wider than it is long. The snout is sharply truncate. The tympanum is small but visible. The digital discs are small. No webbing is present. Dorsal coloration in preserved specimens is medium brown. Dorsal patterns are variable, but all individuals have a dark scapular W-mark and many have a dark intraocular bar. Most specimens are mottled. Some have middorsal line or dorsolateral stripes. Ventral coloration varies from pale orange to pale yellow or white. Mature or gravid females show the brightest orange hues. In adults, the throat has fine and uniform dark brown stippling.

Distribution and habitat

This species occurs in the north of the Blue Mountains and the

John Crow Mountains The John Crow Mountains are a range of mountains in eastern Jamaica. Etymology The name John Crow was first recorded in the 1820s and comes from the Jamaican name for the turkey vulture. It has been suggested that previous to this, the range was ...

, extending to the northeastern coast of Jamaica. It is found from sea level to asl. It is found in mesic forests (

montane rainforest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

, wet limestone forest,

elfin woodland A "natural National Park in the Philippines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site file:Mount Kemiri (8187817161).jpg, An elfin forest in Sumatra's Gunung Leuser National Park Dwarf forest, elfin forest, or pygmy forest is an uncommon ecosystem feat ...

) in rocky areas of this region. Eggs are laid on the ground and it breeds by direct development (i.e., there is no free-living larval stage).

Conservation

The range of the species is limited and its forest habitat is declining rapidly due to agriculture, human settlement, and logging – also in protected areas and national parks. Although still fairly common and abundant, the population is inferred to be decreasing.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eleutherodactylus Pentasyringos pentasyringos Amphibians of Jamaica Endemic fauna of Jamaica Amphibians described in 1973 Taxa named by Albert Schwartz (zoologist) Taxonomy articles created by Polbot