Honduran Brook Frog

Diagnosis: This frog can be distinguished from all other Honduran hylids as follows: by having uniformly green dorsal surfaces in life, a white labial stripe, a white, poorly developed lateral stripe, and in preservative, pale to dark brown dorsal surfaces with many tiny white spots visible when examined under magnification (McCranie and Wilson 2002; McCranie and Wilson 1986). Description: The SVL of adult males is 25.1-28 mm and the SVL of adult females is 34 mm. The snout on this frog is moderately short, semicircular to truncate in dorsal view and rounded to vertical in lateral view. The top of the head is flattened. Nostrils are directed laterally and are located at about 2/3 the length of the snout. The canthus rostralis is rounded to nearly angular, while the loreal region is slightly concave. A well-developed supratympanic fold usually obscures the upper edge of the tympanum. The tongue is ovoid and slightly free at the posterior. Vomerine tooth patches are present on elevated posteromedially-inclined ridges between the ovoid to elliptical-shaped choanae. Maxillary teeth are spatulate. Forearm is moderately robust and the posterior ventrolateral edge of the forearm bears a row of low tubercles that form a dermal ridge. The wrist bears a well-developed transverse dermal fold on its upper surface, while the elbow lacks any vertical dermal fold. Finger discs are broadly expanded and are rounded. Subarticular tubercles of both fingers and toes are round, and globular to conical in shape. The palmar tubercle is low, elliptical, and commonly bifid. The prepollex is slightly enlarged and rounded. In breeding males, the distal end of the prepollex and the mid-thumb have poorly cornified patches of tiny nuptial excrescences. Relative finger lengths are I< II< IV< III, and there is basal webbing between Fingers I and II. Feet are webbed and the toes bear expanded, rounded discs that are smaller than the finger discs. Unwebbed portions of toes have lateral keels. Vent opening is directed posteroventrally near the upper level of the thighs. Skin below the vent is granular to coarsely areolate. Skin of dorsal surfaces is smooth. The skin of the belly and throat is coarsely areolate. Skin of ventral surfaces of thighs is granular to coarsely areolate. The pupil of this frog is horizontally elliptical. The palpebral membrane is translucent and is either unpatterned or shows scattered pale flecks. Males have a single, median subgular vocal sac with paired vocal slits, and, in breeding season, small nuptial excrescences on the prepollices (McCranie and Wilson 2002). Coloration of the frogs is lime green to olive green or dark leaf-green on the dorsal surfaces of the body, head, and limbs as well as the plantar surfaces of the feet. The venter is pale yellow. The upper jaw has a thin white labial stripe that expands below the eye. and continues onto the body as a pale, poorly developed flank stripe. A large, cream-colored spot is present just above the groin. A poorly developed stripe is present above the vent. Tubercles below the vent have white tips. The posterior tarsal edges have a thin white stripe. Thighs are pale yellow on the anterior and posterior surfaces. The iris is blood red (McCranie and Wilson 2002). A typical stage 36 tadpole has a body length of 13.4 mm. The body is slightly depressed and slightly wider than it is high. The snout is semicircular in dorsal view but rounded in lateral profile. The spiracle is sinistral, directed posterior and situated slightly below midline. The tail is robust, with the dorsal fin terminating at the posterior end of the body. Oral discs are very large and funnel-shaped, and are directed anteroventrally, continuously bordered by a single row of papillae. A row of larger, well-spaced submarginal papillae encircles the oral disc immediately inside the row of marginal papillae (McCranie and Wilson 1990; McCranie and Wilson 2002). Tadpoles have brown bodies with scattered silver flecks. The tail musculature is brown and is slightly mottled with cream. Tail fins are transparent with heavy brown mottling. The inside of the oral disc is flecked with brown. The iris of the tadpole is reddish orange and heavily reticulated with black (McCranie and Wilson 1990; McCranie and Wilson 2002).Species authority: McCranie and Wilson (1986). The specific name salvavida is a Spanish word that means lifesaver. The name alludes to the Honduran beer named Salvavida (McCranie and Wilson 1986).

Duellmanohyla salvavida is found on the Atlantic versant of north-central Honduras (in the Sierra de Nombre de Dios and Departamentos Montaña Macuzal, Atlantica and Yoro) at elevations of 90-1,400 m asl. This species lives in lowland moist forests and premontane wet forests (McCranie and Wilson 2002).

Males call from low vegetation along shallow, slow-moving streams and pools (McCranie and Wilson 2002). The mating call of this species consists of multiple notes that resemble a soft high-pitched cricket-like chirp or squeak, with about 3-5 notes per call group (McCranie and Wilson 2002). Females lay large unpigmented eggs (egg diameter about 2.0 mm) in clutches of about 100 (McCranie and Wilson 2002). Tadpoles were collected from shallow, slow-moving streams with gravel or mud bottoms, or pools, from under a layer of leaves at the bottom (McCranie and Wilson 1990). Occasionally tadpoles have been observed to float upside down with the oral disc on the surface film (McCranie and Wilson 2002).

This species is Critically Endangered. It is an uncommon frog and all populations of this frog seem to be decreasing; McCranie and Castañeda (2005) noted that it was considerably less common in 1996 and 2003 than in previous years' surveys . There has been considerable habitat loss and habitat degradation due to deforestation for logging and small-scale agriculture (Stuart et al. 2008). Chytridiomycosis potentially threatens this species (Stuart et al. 2008). Fires, landslides on upper parts of clear water streams, and water pollution are other factors that have contributed to the decline of this species (Wilson and McCranie 1998). It occurs within two protected areas: Parque Nacional Pico Bonito and Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat (Stuart et al. 2008).

The Honduran brook frog (Duellmanohyla salvavida) is a species of frog in the family Hylidae endemic to Honduras. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and rivers. Scientists have seen it between 90 and 1400 m above sea level in Honduras in rainforests.

The adult male frog measures 25.1-28 mm in snout-vent length and the adult female frog about 34 mm. The skin of the dorsum is light or dark green in color and the skin of the ventrum is yellow. There is a white stripe on the face underneath the eye down the side of the body. There is a whitish spot above the groin. The inner thighs are light yellow in color. The iris is red.

This frog is endangered for several reasons, principally habitat loss. Logging for lumber, urbanization, droughts, and floods, all affect the population. It is preyed upon by both native and introduced predators. This frog is subject to damage from UV light and the fungal disease chytridiomycosis.

The scientific name of this frog, salvavida, means "lifesaver." The scientists named it after a Honduran beer called Salvavida.