Lesser Treefrog

Cardoso and Haddad (1984) discussed geographically coherent acoustic differences among populations. Kaplan (1994) suggested that Dendropsophus minutus is a complex of species. The general diagnosis is: head short, snout rounded; dorsum orange, brown or tan, usually with a pair of dorso-lateral stripes that can be simple or elaborate. Belly whitish. Throat yellow in males and white in females. Coloured thighs, mainly in the females. Tympanum indistinct (Cei 1980; Kwet 1999; Bastos 2003).Dendrosophus brevifrons differs by having a white horizontal bar below the eyes, and a brown dorsum without hourglass markings.This species was previously within the genus Hyla but has recently been moved to the resurrected genus Dendropsophus (Faivovich, et al., 2005). It is likely a complex of several species.This species was featured as News of the Week on December 15, 2014. An emerging biodiversity pattern is that of single amphibian species that are widespread across a continent are found to be complexes of several cryptic species. These are species that are difficult to distinguish without detailed analysis of traits such as mating calls in frogs or DNA sequences. An extreme example is the species Dendropsophus minutus, which extends over several ecoregions, including the wet forests of Amazonia, the coastal Atlantic forests of southeastern Brazil, to dry scrub forest of the Caatinga. Depending on the region, the species occurs from sea level to 2000 m asl. Using mtDNA sequences, Gehara and 29 co-authors (2014) identified 43 lineages within the single "species," many of which may represent cryptic species. The distribution of one lineage covers more than 1 million km2. This broad-brush study is an important first step in documenting taxonomic and biogeographic patterns of Neotropical biodiversity that beg for deeper analysis (Written by David Cannatella).

D. minutus has a widespread distribution from the lowlands east of the Andes from Colombia, Venezuela, and Trinidad southward through Ecuador, Peru and Brazil to Bolivia, Uruguay, until Argentina, up to 2000 m elevation (Frost 2004). This species may be considered very versatile, according to its wide range in latitude as well as in altitude (Cei 1980). It is an arboreal species but during breeding time it is commonly found in open grasslands near shallow waters.

Hemipterans and Aranaea are important components of the diet of D. minutus, but individuals of Homoptera and Diptera can also be part of the diet (Sluys & Rocha 1998). Males usually call from grass, emergent aquatic plants, or low shrubs next to the water. Their short, shrill calls produce loud mass concerts, heard from dusk until after midnight (Kwet 1999). Kwet (2001) registered a dominant frequency of 3600-5800 Hz, and 4040-4840 Hz as maximum. Two mating strategies have been reported: the calling male and the satellite male (Haddad 1991). Territorially disputes were observed by Cardoso & Haddad (1984); different calls and physical combat behavior to defend calling sites have been observed by Haddad (1987). The amplexus is axilar. Egg-laying occurs in standing water bodies, such as ponds or large puddles. Spawning period from September to February (Kwet 1999). The larval morphology was studied by Vizotto (1967) and the microanatomy of the buccal apparatus and oral cavity were described by Echeverria (1997). The tadpole is characterized by its high orange and black coloured tail fin and a dark line ranging from snout to eye. It is free-swimming and feeds mainly on algae (Kwet 1999). Tadpoles raised in laboratory were observed to feed on commercial fish food and plant material. Peixoto (1997) suggested that tadpoles of D. minutus could be facultatively carnivorous.

Dendropsophus minutus, the lesser tree frog, is considered one of the most common and widespread amphibian species of South America, found from sea level lowlands of the Guinean Shield and Columbia up to 2000 m (6500 ft) in elevation through east-of the-Andes Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay and Argentina. However coloration and call variation as well as recent molecular work reveals significant cryptic diversity across this range, indicating that D. minutus comprises a species complex made up of up to 43 distinct lineages, each of which may be separate species. The complex appears to have an early- to mid-Miocene origin in the Amazonian basin with dispersal east to the Atlantic forest to form the initial diversification of the D. minutus complex followed by subsequent dispersals to other parts of South America.

While considered by the IUCN as a species of least concern, further work on resolving the cryptic diversity of this species complex may have large conservation implications.The most geographically widespread D. minutus lineages occur across open habitats in Brazil but more than half of the lineages appear to be endemic to very small areas (less than 10 square km; 4 square miles), indicating need for taxonomic revision and requirements for greater protection measures.

A small hylid frog (21-28 mm (0.8-1.1 inches) snout-vent length), the lesser tree frog inhabits tropical forests, perching on leaves and branches, but is also abundant at forest edges, grasslands, marshes and around ditches and puddles in cleared areas, disturbed forest and agricultural lands. In breeding season (September-February), D. minutus becomes less arboreal, congregating on emergent plants, grasses and shrubs around water.The territorial males make short shrill calls between dusk and midnight; females lay eggs into standing water.The free-swimming tadpoles have a dark stripe between their nose and eye, and an orange and black tail fin. Tadpoles feed on algae, and are possibly also opportunistically carnivorous.

(Gehara et al. 2014; Both et al. 2014)

Dendropsophus goughi, the Guianan dwarf tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to Trinidad. Scientists have seen it as high as 1200 meters above sea level.

For a time, scientists considered this frog conspecific with Dendropsophus microcephalus.