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The Hemiphractidae are a
An unusual and unique adaptation in this family is the breeding behavior where the eggs are carried on the female's back; the eggs may develop into froglets on the back of the female without free-swimming
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
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 ...
s from South
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
and Central America
Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
. Previously, this group had been classified as a subfamily (Hemiphractinae) under family Hylidae
Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as " tree frogs 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 ...
. More recent research classifies these genera into their own family, or sometimes into three separate families: Amphignathodontidae ('' Flectonotus'' and '' Gastrotheca''), Cryptobatrachidae
Cryptobatrachidae is a family 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 'wi ...
(''Cryptobatrachus
''Cryptobatrachus'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hemiphractidae. They are found in Colombia and Venezuela. They are also known as backpack frogs, as the females have the habit of carrying their egg clutch on their backs until the young hat ...
'' and ''Stefania
''Stefania'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hemiphractidae. They are native to the highlands of the Guiana Shield in southern Venezuela, Guyana, and adjacent far northern Brazil. Most are restricted to the tepui highlands, but '' S. evansi'' ...
''), and Hemiphractidae (''Hemiphractus
''Hemiphractus'' is a genus of frogs, the horned treefrogs, in the family Hemiphractidae. These overall brownish frogs have a pointed snout and a casque on the head. They are nocturnal, relatively rare and native to humid lowland and highland for ...
'' and '' Fritziana''). An active question still exists as to which of these groupings is more accurate.
Breeding behavior
An unusual and unique adaptation in this family is the breeding behavior where the eggs are carried on the female's back; the eggs may develop into froglets on the back of the female without free-swimming tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog (also spelled pollywog) is the Larva, larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully Aquatic animal, aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial animal, ...
stage, be released after hatching as tadpoles, or be deposited in water to complete their development there. In some species (genus '' Gastrotheca'' and some '' Flectonotus''), this goes as far as to enclose the eggs in a pouch until they hatch. Males in amplexus
Amplexus (Latin "embrace") is a type of Mating, mating behavior exhibited by some External fertilization, externally fertilizing species (chiefly amphibians, Amphipoda, amphipods, and horseshoe crabs) in which a male grasps a female with his fro ...
have been observed to play an active role in placing the eggs on the back or in the pouch of the female. In some species, froglets may stay on the female's back after hatching.
Taxonomy
The Hemiphractidae are divided into these genera: * ''Cryptobatrachus
''Cryptobatrachus'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hemiphractidae. They are found in Colombia and Venezuela. They are also known as backpack frogs, as the females have the habit of carrying their egg clutch on their backs until the young hat ...
'' — backpack frogs
* '' Flectonotus'' — Brazilian treefrogs
* '' Fritziana''
* '' Gastrotheca'' — marsupial frogs
* ''Hemiphractus
''Hemiphractus'' is a genus of frogs, the horned treefrogs, in the family Hemiphractidae. These overall brownish frogs have a pointed snout and a casque on the head. They are nocturnal, relatively rare and native to humid lowland and highland for ...
'' — horned treefrogs
* ''Stefania
''Stefania'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hemiphractidae. They are native to the highlands of the Guiana Shield in southern Venezuela, Guyana, and adjacent far northern Brazil. Most are restricted to the tepui highlands, but '' S. evansi'' ...
'' — carrying frogs
References
External links
*http://www.tolweb.org/Hemiphractinae/ *http://amphibiaweb.org/lists/Hemiphractidae.shtml *http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=773185 {{Authority control Amphibian families Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters Fauna of the Neotropical realm