Adult, 3,500′, Oaxaca, Mexico
Adult showing thigh coloration, 3,500′, Oaxaca, Mexico
MIAHUATLAN (PIPING) PEEPING FROG
Tomodactylus syristes – Hoyt 1965
IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:
T. syristes is known to occur only on the Pacific slopes of the Sierra Miahuatlán and Sierra Mixteca Alta at moderate elevations.
HABITAT:
Cloud Forest of the Sierra Madre del Sur, 2,000′, Oaxaca, Mexico
NATURAL HISTORY:
TAXONOMY:
The genus Tomodactylus was recently synonomized with Eleutherodactylus; however, I believe that Tomodactylus should be retained to represent this distinct group of frogs.
TYPE:
Described as Tomodactylus syristes by Hoyt (1965). Holotype: UMMZ 124004. Type locality: “on the Pacific slopes of the Sierra de Miahuatlan . . . . 66.7 km (by road) N of Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico”.
PERSONAL NOTES:
I encountered this species during July, 2005 in the Sierra Madre del Sur above Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. During a rainless night, dozens of calling individuals were heard along a 7 mile stretch of rural highway. Most were vocalizing from high perches in pine trees and would have been extremely difficult to capture; in the course of climbing a vertical roadcut to try for a calling frog, I happened upon the above-photographed female in the tall grass I was using to ascend the dangerous slope.
Of possible interest is the fact that there was approximately 1 mile of highway where no Tomodactylus or Syrrhophus were vocalizing on this evening – lower than T. syristes and above S. pipilans.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
IUCN Red List status for this species is currently “Endangered” due to it’s small geographic distribution and the continued deforestation associated with the forests it exclusively inhabits. Mexico’s law lists this species under “Special Protection”. Whether or not this species can exist in logged regions has yet to be determined, but it seems that virgin forest is not necessary to it’s survival.
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