Theloderma

Theloderma, the bug-eyed frogs, mossy frogs or warty frogs,[1] is a genus of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, subfamily Rhacophorinae.[2] They are found from northeastern India and southern China, through Southeast Asia, to the Greater Sunda Islands; the highest species richness is in Indochina.[3] Some species, especially T. corticale, are sometimes kept in captivity.[1]

Theloderma
Theloderma albopunctatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Rhacophoridae
Subfamily: Rhacophorinae
Genus: Theloderma
Tschudi, 1838
Type species
Theloderma leporosa
Tschudi, 1838
Diversity
See text

They are medium to small-sized frogs with maximum snout–vent lengths that range from 2 to 7.5 cm (0.8 to 3.0 in) depending on species, and their skin can be smooth, warty or tuberculated.[3] The genus includes species that are contrastingly marked, but most are very well-camouflaged, resembling plant material (typically bark or moss) or bird droppings.[3][4]

Little is known about their behavior, but they feed on small arthropods. In species where known, breeding takes place in a small water pool in a cavity of a tree, bamboo or karst.[1][3][4] The female places 4–20 eggs just above the water. After about one to two weeks they hatch into tadpoles that drop into the water; they metamorphose into froglets after a few months to a year.[1][3]

Species and taxonomy
T. corticale (above) resembles moss and T. moloch (below) resembles bark or a bird dropping

The sister taxon of Theloderma is Nyctixalus. The taxonomy of this genus and Nyctixalus as well as Theloderma moloch has been in flux;[2] today both AmphibiaWeb and Amphibian Species of the World recognize the two genera as valid.[2][5]

Following the Amphibian Species of the World, there are 26 recognized species in the genus Theloderma:[2]

References
  1. Lott, D. (2017). "Keeping and breeding mossy frogs". Practical Reptile Keeping. July 2017: 38–45.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Theloderma Tschudi, 1838". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  3. Poyarkov, Jr., N.A.; N.L. Orlov; A.V. Moiseeva; P. Pawangkhanant; T. Ruangsuwan; A.B. Vassilieva; E.A. Galoyan; T.T Nguyen; S.S. Gogolev (2015). "Sorting out moss frogs: mtDNA data on taxonomic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of the Indochinese species of the genus Theloderma (Anura, Rhacophoridae)". Russian Journal of Herpetology. 22 (4): 241–280.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Sivongxay, N.; M. Davankham; S. Phimmachak; K. Phoumixay; B.L. Stuart (2016). "A new small-sized Theloderma (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Laos". Zootaxa. 4147 (4): 433–442. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4147.4.5.
  5. "Rhacophoridae". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  6. Jodi Rowley (2011-11-23). "Two new species of moss frog discovered". Australian Museum.


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