Hispaniolan giant tree frog

The Hispaniolan giant tree frog (Osteopilus vastus), or Hispaniola tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Hylidae endemic to Hispaniola and found in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti.[2] It is patchily distributed in across the island. Populations from the southern part of Hispaniola may represent a separate, as yet undescribed species.[1]

Hispaniolan giant tree frog
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Genus: Osteopilus
Species:
O. vastus
Binomial name
Osteopilus vastus
(Cope, 1871)
Synonyms
  • Hyla vasta Cope, 1871

These frogs are primarily found in mesic broadleaf forests but also in a range of agricultural habitats, such as cacao and coffee plantations and pastures. They can be found high in the canopy (up to 15 m). They are often found along creeks and streams; males call from trees overhanging running water. Eggs are also deposited in running water.[1]

This species is threatened by habitat loss caused by degradation of streams and deforestation.[1]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2013). "Osteopilus vastus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T54346A3014515. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T54346A3014515.en.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Osteopilus vastus (Cope, 1871)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 20 September 2014.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.