Alsodes Explained

Alsodes is a genus of alsodid frogs found in Chile and Argentina.^[1] It is the most species-rich frog genus in Patagonia.^[2] Common name spiny-chest frogs has been coined for them.^[3]

Description

Characteristic for this genus is that during the reproductive season, adult males have thorny structures on the fingers and rounded spiny patches on the chest.^[4] Breeding takes place in high-elevation streams, and tadpoles have slow development, including overwintering under ice cover.^[5]

Species

There are 19 species in the genus:^{[1] [6]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Alsodes Bell, 1843 . Frost, Darrel R. . 2016 . Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 . American Museum of Natural History . 25 April 2016.
2. 10.1111/j.1096-0031.2012.00417.x. Phylogenetic relationships of a Patagonian frog radiation, the Alsodes + Eupsophus clade (Anura: Alsodidae), with comments on the supposed paraphyly of Eupsophus. Cladistics. 29. 2. 113–131. 2013. Blotto . B. L. . Nuñez . J. J. . Basso . N. S. G. . Úbeda . C. A. . Wheeler . W. C. . Faivovich . J. N. . 86232931. free . 11336/5605 . free .
3. Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 70
4. Cuevas . C. C. . Formas . J. R. . 2005 . A new frog of the genus Alsodes (Leptodactylidae) from the Tolhuaca National Park, Andes Range, southern Chile . Amphibia-Reptilia . 26 . 39–48 . 10.1163/1568538053693288 . free .
5. Book: Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles . 4th . Laurie J.. Vitt. Janalee P. . Caldwell. Academic Press. 2014. 491.
6. Web site: Alsodidae . 2016 . AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application] . Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb . 25 April 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141009113950/http://amphibiaweb.org/lists/Alsodidae.shtml . 9 October 2014 . dead .