Leptodactylus leptodactyloides (Andersson 1945)

Leptodactylus leptodactyloides (Andersson, 1945)

Eleutherodactylus leptodactyloides Andersson 1945:43, fig. 15 [type locality: Rio Pastaza. East Ecuador; holotype NHRM, no number, adult male].

Leptodactylus leptodactyloides.—Heyer, 1970:21, 22 [first association of leptodactyloides with the genus Leptodactylus].

DIAGNOSIS.—Leptodactylus leptodactyloides occurs sympatrically with or in the same general region as the following Leptodactylus species with toe fringes (except for L. ocellatus and its closest relatives): L. bolivianus, colombiensis, dantasi, diedrus, griseigularis, pallidirostris, pascoensis, petersii, podicipinus, riveroi, sabanensis, and wagneri (among these, leptodactyloides most closely resembles colombiensis, griseigularis, and sabanensis). Leptodactylus leptodactyloides rarely has long dorsolateral folds and the dorsolateral folds are irregular, not smooth; the dorsolateral folds in bolivianus and riveroi are always long and smooth. Leptodactylus leptodactyoides is not as large as colombiensis (leptodactyloides females 35–56 mm SVL, males 28–48 mm SVL; colombiensis females 38–62 mm SVL, males 36–56 mm SVL) and fewer leptodactyloides (10%) have light-spotted chins/throats than do colombiensis (44%). Leptodactylus leptodactyloides never has distinct light belly spots, dantasi always has distinct light belly spots, and podicipinus often has distinct light belly spots. Leptodactylus leptodactyloides can be distinguished further from podicipinus by posterior thigh patterns; the thighs of most leptodactyloides have distinct light stripes, whereas the thighs of most podicipinus are entirely mottled with no indication of light stripes. Leptodactylus leptodactyloides almost always has some indication of dorsolateral folds; diedrus never has dorsolateral folds. Most L. diedrus lack melanophores on the belly; almost all leptodactyloides have melanophores on the belly. The posterior and ventral thigh patterns blend into each other in L. leptodactyloides; the patterns abut in diedrus. The commonest posterior thigh pattern in L. leptodactyloides is with distinct light stripes, whereas in griseigularis the commonest pattern is mottled, without any indication of light stripes. Almost all male L. leptodactyloides have medium-size black thumb spines; almost all male griseigularis have large black thumb spines. Leptodactylus leptodactyloides is larger than pallidirostris (pallidirostris females 30–43 mm SVL, males 28–37 mm SVL). The commonest lip stripe condition in L. leptodactyloides is indistinct stripes, and all posterior lip stripes extend from the posterior corner of the eye; in pallidirostris the commonest condition is distinct stripes, which often extend from under the middle of the eye. Few individuals (10%) of L. leptodactyloides have light-spotted chin/throat patterns; many (69%) pallidirostris have light chin/throat spots. Leptodactylus leptodactyloides is smaller than pascoensis (pascoensis females 52–67 mm SVL, males 60–61 mm SVL), and leptodactyloides individuals usually have at least some indication of light stripes on the posterior thigh, whereas most pascoensis specimens have mottled thighs with no indication of light stripes. Leptodactylus leptodactyloides usually have at least an indication of light stripes on the posterior thigh, whereas petersii usually do not. Leptodactylus leptodactyloides have more intense belly patterns anteriorly, and most individuals are moderately mottled; Leptodactylus petersii specimens have more uniformly patterned bellies, often in an anastomotic pattern, and most individuals have extensively mottled bellies. More L. leptodactyloides have at least indications of posterior lip stripes than sabanensis. Leptodactylus leptodactyloides differs more from sabanensis in advertisement call than in morphological features. In L. leptodactyloides the call duration is 0.01–0.04 s with a dominant frequency range of 650–1600 Hz and with maximum energy between 1100–1300 Hz; in sabanensis the call duration is 0.04–0.06 s with a dominant frequency range of 900–2300 Hz and with maximum energy between 1400–1800 Hz. Leptodactylus leptodactyloides is smaller than wagneri (wagneri females 52–82 mm SVL, males 39–61 mm SVL). Very few L. leptodactyloides specimens have long dorsolateral folds; most wagneri do. The bellies of L. leptodactyloides characteristically are mottled with a finely mottled pattern; many wagneri have boldly mottled bellies.

ADULT CHARACTERISTICS (N = 388 females, 235 males).—Light posterior lip stripes rarely very distinct (1%), sometimes distinct (11%), usually indistinct (52%), and often not discernible (36%), when discernible, stripes extending from posterior corner of eye; light posterior thigh stripe sometimes very distinct (10%), usually distinct (34%), indistinct (33%), or not discernible (23%); dorsolateral folds (apparently) rarely absent (6%), often short (23%), usually moderate length (65%), or rarely long (5%); toe tips rarely narrow (2%), sometimes just swollen (18%), usually swollen (65%), sometimes just expanded (10%), rarely expanded (4%), and rarely with small disks (1%); male black thumb spines rarely small size (6%) or small/medium (4%), usually medium (87%), and rarely large (2%); chin/throat sometimes with light spots on a darker field (10%); belly rarely lacking melanophores (1%), usually lightly mottled (43%) or moderately mottled (47%), and sometimes extensively mottled (9%).

Females 34.8–56.2 mm SVL (x = 46.3 ± 3.8), males 28.3–47.9 mm SVL (x = 40.1 ± 3.0); female head length 32%–41% SVL (x = 36 ± 1%), male head length 34%–41% SVL (x = 37 ± 1%); female head width 30%–38% SVL (x = 34 ±1%), male head width 31%–39% SVL (x=35±1%); female tympanum diameter 6%–8% SVL (x = 7 ± 0%), male tympanum diameter 6%–9% SVL (x = 8 ± 0%); female thigh length 34%–50% SVL (x = 43 ± 2%), male thigh length 35%–49% SVL (x = 44 ± 2%); female shank length 42%–52% SVL (x =47 ±2%), male shank length 42%–51% SVL (x = 47 ± 2%); female foot length 46%–62% SVL (x = 52 ± 2%), male foot length 47%–62% SVL (x = 53 ± 2%).

LARVAL CHARACTERISTICS.—Maximum total length stage 40, 28.3 mm; body length 35%–51% (x =42.6) total length; maximum tail depth 32%–51% (x =41.6) body length; nostril just nearer snout tip than eye or midway between snout and eye; internarial distance just greater than interorbital distance; eye diameter, stages 25–31, 7%–9% (x = 7.5) body length, stages 36–40, 8%–12% (x =9.4) body length; mouth subterminal; oral disk entire; spiracle sinistral; anal tube median; oral papilla formula 1–2; oral disk width, stages 25–31, 23%–28% (x = 24.9) body length, stages 36–40, 18%–27%(x =20.6) body length; oral papilla gap 24%–43% (x = 35.0) oral disk width; labial tooth row formula, stages 25–27, 2[2]/3, stages 28–40, number of labial teeth in row A-2, stages 25–31, 62–75, stages 36–40, 72–113; number of labial teeth in 0.1 mm measured in middle of of row A-2, 5.5–9 (x = 7.6); dorsal body pattern brown, not quite uniform profusion of melanophores; ventral body pattern moderate to heavy mottle anteriorly, light spot just behind oral disk present or absent, very light to moderate scattering of melanophores over guts; melanophores present on oral disk; anal tube with scattered or very few melanophores; tail brown with scattered small flecks, pattern heaviest over musculature, ventralmost edge of fin with or without melanophores.

The preceding larval description is based on samples from Limoncocha, Napo, Ecuador, and from Tambopata, Madre de Dios, Peru.

ADVERTISEMENT CALL.—Call rate of 0.3–3.3 calls per s; call duration 0.01–0.04 s; calls unpulsed or with 3–5 partial pulses; calls frequency modulated with very fast rise times; dominant frequency range 650–1600 Hz, maximum energy 1100–1300 Hz; harmonic structure present or absent (Figures 4, 5, 14, 15). Schneider et al. (1988) described antiphonal calling in a species they identified as L. wagneri from the outskirts of Manaus. The scales of analyses are different for the figures they published compared to those in this paper, but the calls they reported appear to be those of L.leptodactyloides as recognized in this paper.

KARYOTYPE.—Unknown.

GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION.—Variation has been discussed previously in several sections, and some aspects of geographic variation have been discussed specifically in the “Region 4—Amazonia” analysis. In addition, there does appear to be some geographic variation in size, based on specimens ≥ or ≤ 2 standard deviations of mean size for males and females. The largest specimens are found in the west-central portion of the range (Leticia, Amazonas, Colombia; Cusuime, Morona-Santiago, Ecuador; Río Ampiyacu, Estirón, Loreto, Peru), whereas the smallest specimens are found in the south-west portion of the range (Príncipe da Beira, Rondônia, Brazil; Tambopata, Madre de Dios, Peru; several localities in departments of Beni and Santa Cruz, Bolivia).

DISTRIBUTION.—Distributed throughout the greater Amazon basin and the Guianas from known elevations of 15–400 m (Figure 38; Appendix 2).

Leptodactylus leptodactyloides is a species of frogs in the family Leptodactylidae. Its local name is sapito leptodactilo ("slender-fingered toadlet"). It is found in the greater Amazon Basin and the Guianas (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela). Leptodactylus leptodactyloides occurs in a range of habitats: savannas, open areas, forest edges, and secondary and primary lowland forest. Reproduction takes place in temporary waterbodies.

Male Leptodactylus leptodactyloides grow to a snout–vent length of 28–48 mm (1.1–1.9 in) and females to 35–57 mm (1.4–2.2 in).