Leptodactylid Frogs of the United States
Leptodactylids are an extremely diverse group adapted to a variety of habitats and reproductive strategies. The 7 species that occur in our sectrion of North America have horizontal pupils, and a T shaped bone in the tip of each toe.
males of some species congregate together to call in loud choruses to attract females to the breeding ponds, but males of most species call singly, often while hidden in vegetation or burrows. Breeding males clasp the female behind the forelimbs. Some species, like Leptodactylus, lay numerous eggs in foam nests in the water. On hatching, the tadpoles escape into the water where they live until metamorphozing into frogs. Other species, like Eleutherodactylus, lay fewwer than two dozen eggs in moist leaf litter or damp earth. They hatch 2 to 3 weeks later, releasing fully developed miniature frogs.
There are seven species of Leptodactylid Frogs in the U.S.
Introduced into southern Florida at Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Coral Gables.
Widely introduced throughout the Florida peninsula.
Found from southeastern new Mexico and central Texas south to Tehuantepec, Mexico, there north to extreme southern Arizona.
Found in extreme southern Texas through Mexico to Panama.
Found in extreme southern Texas and eastern Mexico.
Found in the Big Bend area of west Texas and south into Mexico.
Found from central to western Texas - San Antonio to Big Bend.
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