Leptodactylidae

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | 700+ words | Copyright

Leptodactylidae (class Amphibia, order Anura) A varied family of frogs, including arboreal and burrowing forms, that are adapted to arid conditions. Metamorphosis is rapid and they have a well-developed capacity to retain water. The vertebrae are procoelous. Rhinoderma darwinii (Darwin's frog or the mouth-breeding frog) of Chile and Argentina is small (up to 2.5 cm long), has a soft outgrowth from the tip of its snout, and its eggs develop into froglets inside the vocal pouch of the male. The family includes Sminthillus limbatus, the world's smallest frog (body length 1 cm), but many species are large and voracious. There are about 650 species occurring in Australia, tropical America, and southern Africa.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Leptodactylidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Leptodactylidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Leptodactylidae.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Leptodactylidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Leptodactylidae.html

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