IDENTIFICATION: DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT: NATURAL HISTORY: TAXONOMY: Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and this species, formerly a member of the Hyla miotympanum group. Within the genus Exerodonta, [...]]]> RIO ALOAPAN TREEFROG
Exerodonta abdivita – Campbell & Duellman 2000

IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT:
NATURAL HISTORY:
TAXONOMY:
Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and this species, formerly a member of the Hyla miotympanum group. Within the genus Exerodonta, this species is not currently assigned to any species group.
TYPE:
PERSONAL NOTES:
In 2006 Jesse Delia and I found this species calling from the large leaves at the top of a tree-like plant (species unknown) above a stream south of Valle Nacional, Oaxaca. At the time we could not get our hands on a specimen, and based on call sight and location we believed them to be Plectrohyla sabrina. In 2007 Jesse returned to this stream and succeeded in photographing these frogs. They were identified as E. abdivita by W. E. Duellman and J. A. Campbell. It was indeed surprising to find a species formerly known only from the Rio Aloapan, a hundred or so kilometers to the north, on a transect that has been so intensely surveyed for Hylid frogs.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
REFERENCES:
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.

IDENTIFICATION: DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT: NATURAL HISTORY: TAXONOMY: Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group. This frog is a former member [...]]]> CHIAPAS HIGHLANDS TREEFROG
Exerodonta bivocata – Duellman & Hoyt 1961

IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT:
NATURAL HISTORY:
TAXONOMY:
Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group.
This frog is a former member of the Hyla pinorum group; however, within the genus Exerodonta, it is not currently assigned to any species group.
TYPE:
PERSONAL NOTES:
I have never searched for this species.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
REFERENCES:
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.

CHIMALAPA TREEFROG Exerodonta chimalapa – Mendelson & Campbell 1994

IDENTIFICATION: DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT: View Over Cerro Baul Region, Habitat of Exerodonta chimalapa Ravine Seep Headwater Habitat, 3,000′, Oaxaca, Mexico Road-Cut Calling Site, 3,000′, Oaxaca, Mexico Collecting Site of Metamorph Exerodonta chimalapa, 500′, Oaxaca, Mexico

NATURAL HISTORY: TAXONOMY: Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) [...]]]>
Adult Male, 2,500′, Oaxaca, Mexico

Metamorph, Presumably Exerodonta chimalapa, 500′, Oaxaca, Mexico

CHIMALAPA TREEFROG
Exerodonta chimalapa – Mendelson & Campbell 1994

IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT:

View Over Cerro Baul Region, Habitat of Exerodonta chimalapa

Ravine Seep Headwater Habitat, 3,000′, Oaxaca, Mexico

Road-Cut Calling Site, 3,000′, Oaxaca, Mexico

Collecting Site of Metamorph Exerodonta chimalapa, 500′, Oaxaca, Mexico

NATURAL HISTORY:
TAXONOMY:
Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group.
E. chimalapa is a member of the E. sumichrasti species group; it is closely related to E. smaragdina, E. xera and E. sumichrasti and occurs in close geographic proximity to the latter species.
TYPE:
PERSONAL NOTES:
In June and July 2005 I found this frog calling from several streams and seeps in the general vicinity of the small community of Colonia Rodulfo Figueroa, on Cerro Baul in the Chimalapa region of southeastern Oaxaca. This area is predominantly cloud forest and comprised of oak trees as well as numerous tropical tree species. The male depicted above was found calling from a stone in a road-edge spring-fed seepage. The forest surrounding this site was recently burned, but another male called during the day and night from within a charred log laying across the stream below the road. No larvae or evidence of reproduction could be found in the seep or ravine; however, downstream in the town itsself I found many Exerodonta tadpoles. Other species found calling with E. chimalapa were Ptychohyla euthysanota, Craugastor lineatus, and an unknown terrestrial species. Smilisca baudinii was present but not found calling. Rana maculata was found in a large pool adjacent to one E. chimalapa call site.
In June 2005 I found a newly metamorphosed frog (pictured above) of the E. sumichrasti species group at a low elevation (500′) site in the Chimalapa region of the Oaxaca/Chiapas border. Whether this frog was a low-elevation record for E. chimalapa, or the first record for E. sumichrasti from the Chimalapas is unknown.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
REFERENCES:
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.

IDENTIFICATION: DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT: NATURAL HISTORY: TAXONOMY: Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group. This frog is a former member of the Hyla [...]]]> JUANITA’S TREEFROG
Exerodonta juanitae – Snyder 1972

IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT:
NATURAL HISTORY:
TAXONOMY:
Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group.
This frog is a former member of the Hyla pinorum group; however, within the genus Exerodonta, it is not currently assigned to any species group.
TYPE:
PERSONAL NOTES:
I have no experience with this species in the wild.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
REFERENCES:
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.

IDENTIFICATION: DISTRIBUTION: HABITAT: NATURAL HISTORY: TAXONOMY: Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group. This frog is a former member of the Hyla [...]]]> BLACK-EYED TREEFROG
Exerodonta melanomma – Taylor 1940

IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:
HABITAT:
NATURAL HISTORY:
TAXONOMY:
Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group.
This frog is a former member of the Hyla pinorum group; however, within the genus Exerodonta, it is not currently assigned to any species group.
TYPE:
PERSONAL NOTES:
I have spent one night within the known range of Exerodonta melanomma but was unable to locate any individuals.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
REFERENCES:
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.

IDENTIFICATION: DISTRIBUTION: HABITAT: NATURAL HISTORY: TAXONOMY: Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group. This frog is a former member of the [...]]]> PINE FOREST TREEFROG
Exerodonta pinorum – Taylor 1937

IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:
HABITAT:
NATURAL HISTORY:
TAXONOMY:
Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group.
This frog is a former member of the Hyla pinorum group; however, within the genus Exerodonta, it is not currently assigned to any species group.
TYPE:
PERSONAL NOTES:
I have no experience with this species in the wild.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
REFERENCES:
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.

EMERALD TREEFROG Exerodonta smaragdina – Taylor 1940

IDENTIFICATION: DISTRIBUTION: HABITAT: Stream Habitat, 4,900′, Jalisco, Mexico

NATURAL HISTORY: TAXONOMY: Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the [...]]]>
Adult Male, 4,900′, Jalisco, Mexico

Same as above

Same as above

EMERALD TREEFROG
Exerodonta smaragdina – Taylor 1940

IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:
HABITAT:

Stream Habitat, 4,900′, Jalisco, Mexico

NATURAL HISTORY:
TAXONOMY:
Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group.
E. smaragdina is a member of the E. sumichrasti species group; it is closely related to E. chimalapa, E. xera and E. sumichrasti.
TYPE:
PERSONAL NOTES:
I have observed E. smaragdina on several occasions. In August 2003 I found many late-stage E. smaragdina tadpoles in a swiftly flowing mountain stream along Highway 40 near Santa Lucia, Sinaloa. Later the same trip I heard several adult males calling from high leaves over a small seep in a tropical ravine on the coastal side of the Sierra de Manatlan, Jalisco. The male frog depicted above was found at night in the streambed of a small creek at the summit of the Sierra de Manatlan in a madrone-oak forest. Craugastor vocalis was also present in these streams as were Leptodeira bressoni (Cat-eyed snakes), one of which was attempting to predate a young C. vocalis (and certainly would have taken Exerodonta smaragdina, too).
My final experience with this frog came from hearing several adult males calling from a pond behind a gasolinera near Jiquilpan, Michoacan. This open plateau habitat is quite a sharp contrast to the tropical and subtropical mountain streams this species usually inhabits.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
REFERENCES:
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.

SUMICHRAST’S TREEFROG Exerodonta sumichrasti – Brocchi 1879

IDENTIFICATION: DISTRIBUTION: HABITAT: Cloud Forest of the Sierra Madre del Sur, 2,000′, Oaxaca, Mexico Roadside Seep, Sierra Madre del Sur, 2,000′, Oaxaca, Mexico Stream, Sierra Madre del Sur, 1,600′, Oaxaca, Mexico

NATURAL HISTORY: TAXONOMY: Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs [...]]]>
Adult Male, 1,600′, Oaxaca, Mexico

Adult Egg-Laden Female, 1,600′, Oaxaca, Mexico

SUMICHRAST’S TREEFROG
Exerodonta sumichrasti – Brocchi 1879

IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:
HABITAT:

Cloud Forest of the Sierra Madre del Sur, 2,000′, Oaxaca, Mexico

Roadside Seep, Sierra Madre del Sur, 2,000′, Oaxaca, Mexico

Stream, Sierra Madre del Sur, 1,600′, Oaxaca, Mexico

NATURAL HISTORY:
TAXONOMY:
Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group.
E. sumichrasti is a member of the E. sumichrasti species group; it is closely related to E. smaragdina, E. xera and E. chimalapa and occurs in close geographic proximity to the latter species.
TYPE:
PERSONAL NOTES:
In July 2005 I spent one night above San Gabriel Mixtepec in the Sierra Madre del Sur of Oaxaca and found this species to be quite common. I found calling males and foraging females in several streams, as well as a single egg-laden female on a streambank. E. sumichrasti was abundant in a small ravine where no other frogs were heard calling, or seen during a nocturnal survey; however, in a larger stream where a more diverse frog fauna occured they appeared scarce. This may have been a relict of my search method, but it is interesting to note.
On this particular night I found this species calling along with Ptychohyla leonhardschultzei, Plectrohyla pentheter, Tomodactylus or Syrrhophus sp. and Craugastor pygmaeus. Lithobates sierramadrensis was also present.
In June 2005 I found a newly metamorphosed frog (pictured above) of the E. sumichrasti species group at a low elevation (500′) site in the Chimalapa region of the Oaxaca/Chiapas border. Whether this frog was a low-elevation record for E. chimalapa, or the first record for E. sumichrasti from the Chimalapas is unknown.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
REFERENCES:
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.

DESERT TREEFROG Exerodonta xera – Mendelson & Campbell 1994

IDENTIFICATION: DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT: Arid Canyon Habitat, 5,000′, Puebla, Mexico Bromeliad Refuge and Calling Site, 15′ Above Ground in Pepper Tree

NATURAL HISTORY: TAXONOMY: Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the [...]]]>
Adult Male, 5,000′, Puebla, Mexico

DESERT TREEFROG
Exerodonta xera – Mendelson & Campbell 1994

IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:

HABITAT:

Arid Canyon Habitat, 5,000′, Puebla, Mexico

Bromeliad Refuge and Calling Site, 15′ Above Ground in Pepper Tree

NATURAL HISTORY:
TAXONOMY:
Exerodonta (Brocchi 1879) was resurrected by Faivovich et al. (2005) as the genus for frogs of the former Hyla sumichrasti group, as well as the frogs of the Hyla pinorum group and a single member of the former Hyla miotympanum group.
E. xera is a member of the E. sumichrasti species group; it is closely related to E. sumichrasti, E. chimalapa and E. smaragdina and occurs in close geographic proximity to the latter species.
TYPE:
PERSONAL NOTES:
In July 2005 my friend Jacobo and I found this species in a spring-fed canyon on the southwest side of the Valle de Zapotitlan Salinas, Puebla. During afternoon thundershowers and on humid nights, males called from small arboreal bromeliads nestled inside the Brazilian Pepper trees that grew on the banks of the intermitant creek. No tadpoles or evidence of reproduction could be found and no females were observed.
In June 2006 I returned to the Valle de Zapotitlan Salinas to photograph these frogs once again, but was unsuccessful in finding them due to drought conditions. The spring-fed canyon was nearly dry as were the axils of the arboreal bromeliads; this indicates to me that these frogs spend the dry season aestivating sub-surface and not in bromeliads as some might have thought. On the first rainy night of the year in the Valle we only heard the calls of Tomodactylus nitidus, a fully terrestrial frog common in both the Valle and the mountains surrounding it.
Lithobates spectabilis was observed in the creek in 2005 (but not 2006), as were Kinosternon integrum and Thamnophis cyrtopsis collaris – all of which predate upon this species.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
REFERENCES:
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.