Stereocyclops parkeri

Stereocyclops parkeri is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to southeastern Brazil and known from the southwestern part of the state of Rio de Janeiro and from Ilha de São Sebastião ("Ilhabela"), São Paulo state.[2][3] For a period it was treated as a synonym of Stereocyclops incrassatus, but is now recognized as valid species.[2]

Stereocyclops parkeri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Stereocyclops
Species:
S. parkeri
Binomial name
Stereocyclops parkeri
(Wettstein, 1934)
Synonyms[2]

Hypopachus parkeri Wettstein, 1934

Etymology

The specific name parkeri honors Hampton Wildman Parker, an English zoologist and herpetologist. It is sometimes known with the common name the Parker's Brazilian dumpy frog.[4]

Description

Stereocyclops parkeri measure about 40 mm (1.6 in) in snout–vent length.[3] The appearance is cryptic.[5]

Behavior

Stereocyclops parkeri show defensive behavior that may enhance its cryptic appearance, giving an impression of a casually dislodged leaf: when disturbed, the individual makes a short leap, landing with its legs stretched backwards. It will then remain still, sometimes as long as 30 minutes, although it may also move a little forward with a quick movement of the feet, resembling a flicked leaf. Similar behavior is observed in Proceratophrys belzebul (reported as Proceratophrys appendiculata, see Dias et al. (2013)[6]) and, in somewhat lesser form, in Zachaenus parvulus. Similar behavior in distantly related frogs suggests convergent evolution.[5]

Habitat and conservation

Stereocyclops parkeri inhabit coastal restinga scrub forests, forest edges, and primary and secondary forests near sea level.[1] They live in leaf litter.[5] The locality in Ilhabela was a vacant lot in an urban area where males were having a chorus in flooded grass.[3] Habitat loss caused by fire, tourism, and human settlement could be a threat to this species.[1]

References
  1. Oswaldo Luiz Peixoto; Sergio Potsch de Carvalho-e-Silva (2010). "Stereocyclops parkeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T58007A11713062. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-2.RLTS.T58007A11713062.en.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Stereocyclops parkeri (Wettstein, 1934)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  3. Sawaya, Ricardo J.; Haddad, Célio F. B. (2006). "Amphibia, Anura, Stereocyclops parkeri: distribution extension, new state record, geographic distribution map". Check List. 2 (3): 74–76. doi:10.15560/2.3.74.
  4. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. pp. 162–163. ISBN 978-1-907807-42-8.
  5. Sazima, Ivan (1978). "Convergent defensive behavior of two leaf-litter frogs of southeastern Brazil". Biotropica. 10 (2): 158. doi:10.2307/2388020. JSTOR 2388020.
  6. Dias, Pedro H. dos Santos; Amaro, R. C.; Carvalho-e-Silva, Ana Maria P. T. de; Rodrigues, M. T. (27 June 2013). "Two new species of Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Anura; Odontophrynidae) from the Atlantic forest, with taxonomic remarks on the genus". Zootaxa. 3682 (2): 277–304. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3682.2.5. PMID 25243288.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.