Mexico Herpetology » Charadrahyla

Charadrahyla trux

triprion — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 09:27:34 +0000

GUERRERO SPINE-FINGERED TREEFROG
Charadrahyla trux – Adler & Dennis 1972

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:
Charadrahyla trux is currently known only from the slopes of Cerro TeÃ³tepec, west of Chilpancingo, Guerrero in the Sierra Madre del Sur. Elevational distribution from 1760 – 2415 m. The distribution of this species is probably more extensive than currently recognized.

HABITAT:
Adler and Dennis (1972) describe the habitat of this species as the immediate vicinity (often less than 2 meters) of cascading mountain streams that flow through cool, moist, oak-pine and bamboo-tree fern cloud forests.

NATURAL HISTORY:
This large, nocturnal species has been found active along streams in the dry season. It is thought to breed during the dry season when streams are at their lowest. During daylight hours this species has been found resting behind waterfalls, and on both wet and dry rock outcrops adjacent to the streams. C. trux possesses vocal slits, and although not yet confirmed it is expected to produce a call. Other amphibians occuring in the same streams as this species are: Eleutherodactylus rugulosus, E. saltator, Plectrohyla mykter, P. pentheter and Ptychohyla leonhardschultzei.

TAXONOMY:
The genus Charadrahyla contains all of the former members of the Hyla taeniopus species group; it is defined by Faivovich et al. (2005).

TYPE:
Described as Hyla trux by Adler, K. and Dennis, D. M. (1972). Holotype: KU 137551. Type locality: 11.4 kilometers (by road) southwest of Puerto del Gallo, Guerrero, MÃ©xico (about 35 kilometers airline northeast of AtoyÃ¡c de Ãlvarez), elevation 1985 m. An adult male collected by K. Adler, D. M. Dennis and D. H. Snyder on 20 December 1969.

PERSONAL NOTES:
I have never looked for this species, but hope to do so in the very near future.

CONSERVATION STATUS:
IUCN Red List status of this species is “Critically Endangered” due to the deterioration and fragmentation of remaining habitat, presumed small natural range and the fact that this species has not been officially recorded for many years despite many surveys at historical localities. It is possible this species may have been extirpated from several historical localities.

REFERENCES:
Adler, K. and D. M. Dennis. 1972. New tree frogs of the Genus Hyla from the cloud forests of western Guerrero, MÃ©xico. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 7:1-19.
Duellman, W.E. 2001. The Hylid Frogs of Middle America. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Ithaca, New York, USA.
Faivovich, J., C. F. B. Haddad, P. C. A. Garcia, D. R. Frost, J. A. Campbell, and W. C. Wheeler. 2005. Systematic review of the frog family Hylidae, with special reference to Hylinae: phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 294:1-240.
Lips, K. R., J. R. Mendelson 3rd, A. MuÃ±oz-Alonso, L. Canseco-MÃ¡rquez and D. G. Mulcahy. 2004. Amphibian population declines in montane southern Mexico: resurveys of historical localities. Biological Conservation 119(2004):555-564.
Mendelson III, J.R. and Campbell, J.A. 1999. The taxonomic status of populations referred to Hyla chaneque in southern Mexico, with the description of a new treefrog from Oaxaca. Journal of Herpetology. 33(1):80-86.

Charadrahyla taeniopus

triprion — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 09:26:44 +0000

PORTHOLE TREEFROG
Charadrahyla taeniopus – Gunther 1901

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT:

NATURAL HISTORY:

TAXONOMY:
The genus Charadrahyla contains all of the former members of the Hyla taeniopus species group; it is defined by Faivovich et al. (2005).

TYPE:

PERSONAL NOTES:
I have no experience with this species despite looking for it on several occasions in the Huatusco region of Veracruz in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 I surveyed several streams north and south of Huatusco at night and during the day during a period of wet weather, but found no Hylid frogs at all – larvae or adults. The habitat around Huatusco is severely degraded, and only a tiny (if any) stand of trees remains on the immediate banks of the streams and ravines of the region. Much of the land has been converted to pasture or corn production. It is doubtful C. taeniopus still occurs at the majority of it’s former haunts along Highway 140 in the Huatusco region. Fortunately, there are still streams in Veracruz and Hidalgo where this species is thriving.

CONSERVATION STATUS:

Charadrahyla nephila

triprion — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 09:18:11 +0000

SIERRA JUAREZ MOTTLED TREEFROG
Charadrahyla nephila – Mendelson & Campbell 1999

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:
This species is found at intermediate elevations from the Sierra Mixe northward through the Sierra de Juarez to the Sierra Mazateca in Oaxaca, Mexico. It may be found as far north as the Sierra Negra de Oriente of Puebla. Elevational distribution from 680 – 2256 meters. A single, dubious record exists from the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz.

HABITAT:

NATURAL HISTORY:

TAXONOMY:
The genus Charadrahyla contains all of the former members of the Hyla taeniopus species group; it is defined by Faivovich et al. (2005). The populations known today as C. nephila were formerly considered conspecific with C. chaneque.

TYPE:
Described as Hyla nephila by Mendelson III, J.R. and Campbell, J.A. (1999). Holotype: UTA A-5769. Type locality: 5.8 kilometers W Totontepec, Sierra Mixe, Oaxaca, Mexico, 2103 m (17Â° 13Â´ N, 96Â° 03Â´ W).

PERSONAL NOTES:
In June 2005 I failed to locate this species in the vicinity of Vista Hermosa, Oaxaca on the single, dry night I surveyed the transect. In June 2006 my research partner and I found C. nephila to be the most abundant stream-breeding Hylid frog on our Vista Hermosa-Cerro PelÃ³n transect.
Early in the evening these frogs were found by spotlighting high trees or vines along rocky stream courses. During the course of the evening the frogs descended and were easily captured as they called and foraged on streamside boulders and vegetation such as vines and elephant ear plants. Their call is low but audible at short distance; the waterfalls in their habitat reduce the ability to hear their calls from more than a few meters in most situations.
It was a very pleasant discovery to find these frogs healthy and inhabiting streams above Vista Hermosa; Lips et al. (2004) reported this species absent from these streams and only found the species near Metates (below Vista Hermosa) in a single stream.

CONSERVATION STATUS:
IUCN Red List status of this species is currently listed as “Vulnerable” due to its limited geographical distribution, the fragmented status of populations, continued decline in the quality and extent of habitat and possible decline due to Chytrid fungus.

Charadrahyla chaneque

triprion — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 08:42:51 +0000

FAIRY TREEFROG
Charadrahyla chaneque – Duellman 1961

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT:

NATURAL HISTORY:
Males of this species are the only members of the genus Charadrahyla that lack vocal slits.

TAXONOMY:
The genus Charadrahyla contains all of the former members of the Hyla taeniopus species group; it is defined by Faivovich et al. (2005).

TYPE:

PERSONAL NOTES:
In June 2005 I was unsuccessful in finding this species during three nights of nocturnal surveys in the Chimalapa region of southeastern Oaxaca.

CONSERVATION STATUS:

Charadrahyla altipotens

triprion — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 08:23:16 +0000

YELLOW-BELLIED TREEFROG
Charadrahyla altipotens – Duellman 1968

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT:

NATURAL HISTORY:

TAXONOMY:
The genus Charadrahyla contains all of the former members of the Hyla taeniopus species group; it is defined by Faivovich et al. (2005).

TYPE:

PERSONAL NOTES:
I have spent one night in the range of this species, and was unsuccessful in locating any individuals.

CONSERVATION STATUS: