
''Phrynopus'' is a genus of
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 of the family
Strabomantidae. Their common name is Andes frogs. They are
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found 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 found elsew ...
to Peru and inhabit the upper humid
montane forest
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 ...
and supra-treeline grassland in the
Cordillera Oriental, with one record from the Peruvian
Cordillera Occidental.
Taxonomy
The contents and phylogenetic position of ''Phrynopus'' have long been uncertain,
[ and many species once included in this genus have now been moved to other genera ('' Bryophryne'', '' Lynchius'', ''Isodactylus'' (now '' Hypodactylus''), '' Noblella'', '']Niceforonia
''Niceforonia'' is a genus of frogs in the family Strabomantidae found in northern South America (from central Peru to Ecuador and Colombia). The name refers to Nicéforo María, Colombian herpetologist.
Taxonomy
the genus ''Niceforonia'' was re ...
'', and '' Psychrophrynella'').[ Hedges and colleagues placed it in 2008 in the family Strabomantidae, ]subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...
Strabomantinae.[
]
Description
''Phrynopus'' are small to medium-sized frogs, from snout–vent length in '' Phrynopus auriculatus'' to in '' Phrynopus kauneorum''. Head is narrower than the body. Differentiated tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus are usually absent, except in ''Phrynopus auriculatus'' and '' Phrynopus peruanus'', two basal species. Dorsum is smooth to pustulate. Venter is smooth or
areolate.
Species
The following species are recognised in the genus ''Phrynopus'':[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q135204
Amphibians of South America
Endemic fauna of Peru
Amphibian genera
Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters