Jordans Dwarf Frog

Physalaemus jordanensis is a small frog (SVL 24 mm in males) that belongs to the P. gracilis species group (Nascimento et al. 2005). Its body is elongated. Head narrow, snout pointed and rounded. Tympanum not well defined. Vomerine teeth absent, maxillary teeth present. Vocal sac well developed. Anterior members short. Dorsal color light brown with yellow vertebral. There is also a black inguinal gland. Venter with dense black pigments. The advertisement call is pulsed, with a call duration of 1.4-1.6 sec (Bokermann 1967). The tadpole was described recently by Gomes et al. (2010). The body is ovoid and globular. Snout rounded. Dorsal fin origin at the body-tail junction. Oral disc antero-ventral, with a single row of marginal papillae. LTRF 2(2)/3(1). A detailed description of the buccopharyngeal morphology is available in Gomes et al. (2010).A distribution map and a picture of an adult male can be found in Tolledo et al. (2009).

This species occurs in the Serra da Mantiqueira range in southeastern Brazil. Like other members of the P. gracilis species group, P. jordanensis is restricted to high elevation areas. It is known from the type locality in Campos do Jordão (1,628 m a.s.l.), State of São Paulo, in addition to Poços de Caldas (1,196 m a.s.l.) and Airuoca (1,800 m a.s.l.) in Southern Minas Gerais State, all in southeastern Brazil. P. jordanensis lives in swamps in open areas.

The calling activity takes place at night in the rainy season, between November and March (Tolledo et al. 2009) in swamps and flooded areas in open areas or near secondary forests (Tolledo et al. 2009), where it builds a floating foam nest. The tadpole is found in temporary ponds in highland grasslands (Gomes et al. 2010). More information is needed about its natural history and habitat requirements.

The species is locally abundant and its range is inside protected areas, such as Parque Estadual de Campos do Jordão, in the State of São Paulo and Parque Estadual da Serra do Papagaio, in the State of Minas Gerais.