Craugastor raniformis explained

Craugastor raniformis (common name: robber frog) is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is found in Colombia and Panama.[1] It is a reasonably common species found in humid lowland and montane forests up to 1500m (4,900feet) asl. It is also common in wet pastureland. Furthermore, it is one of the dominant frogs in abandoned mixed farming areas in the coastal Pacific rainforests in Colombia.[2] This adaptable species is not considered threatened.

Description

Craugastor raniformis is a relatively large frog with a rather pointed snout.[3] Adult females are much larger (snout–vent length 52mm74mm) than males (27mm43mm).

Habitat

This frog has been observed between 0 and 1500 meters above sea level in montane and lowland forests with high humidity. People have also seen it in pastureland. However, people do not often see it in primary forest.

The frog's range includes at least one protected park, including the Ranita Dorada Amphibian Reserve,[4] Parque Nacional Darién, and Area de Manejo Especial Nusagandi.

Diet

The robber frog's diet consists primarily of crickets, millipedes, spiders and ants.[5]

Behaviour and reproduction

During the day individuals are found on the forest floor concealed in leaf litter. At night they may climb to vegetation to heights of 2.5 m above ground or more. Males and juveniles climb more than the larger females. The call of males has been described as a "ha ha ha ha".[6]

Female C. raniformis have been observed to guard their eggs. Along with other species in the genus Craugastor, C. raniformis lays terrestrial eggs that hatch directly into small froglets. Guarding probably protects eggs against predators and fungi.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Craugastor raniformis (Boulenger, 1896) . Frost, Darrel R. . 2014 . Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 . American Museum of Natural History . 22 April 2014.
  2. Cortés-Gómez, Angela M. . Fernando Castro-Herrera . J. Nicolás Urbina-Cardona . amp . 2013 . Small changes in vegetation structure create great changes in amphibian ensembles in the Colombian Pacific rainforest . Tropical Conservation Science . 6 . 6 . 749–769 . 10.1177/194008291300600604 . 88968381 . free .
  3. Web site: Craugastor raniformis Boulenger 1896 . Amphibians of Panama . Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute . 22 April 2014.
  4. Web site: Ranita Dorada Amphibian Reserve. July 27, 2024. July 15, 2010. ProAves.
  5. Blanco-Torres . Argelina . Duré . Marta . Bonilla . María Argenis . 2015-08-16 . Dieta de Craugastor raniformis Boulenger (Anura: Craugastoridae) en un area con bosque seco tropical del norte de Colombia . Acta Zoológica Mexicana . New Series . 31 . 2 . 331–332 . 10.21829/azm.2015.312994 . 2448-8445. 11336/25665 . free .
  6. Lynch. John D.. Myers. Charles W.. 1983. Frogs of the fitzingeri group of Eleutherodactylus in eastern Panama and Chocoan South America (Leptodactylidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 175. 481–568. 2246/980.
  7. Valencia-Zuleta, Alejandro . Andres Felipe Jaramillo . Fernando Castro-Herrera . 2013 . Craugastor raniformis (Robber Frog). Parental Behavior . Herpetological Review . 44 . 4 . 654–655.