Eupsophus Explained

Eupsophus is a genus of frogs in the family Alsodidae. They are sometimes known as ground frogs.^[1] The genus is endemic to Patagonia (Chile and Argentina). Eupsophus is the second most species-rich frog genera of Patagonia. These frogs are restricted to forested areas at southern latitudes.

Reproduction

In most species, the tadpoles are endotrophic (developing without external food sources) and develop in water housed in small hollows in the forest floor or holes at the end of flooded tunnels.^[2] Males call from inside burrows and may engage in duets with their nearest neighbours.^[3] They also show parental care: males remain by the clutch, and later on also by the tadpoles, in small aquatic microhabitats in the ground; this behaviour is associated with significant weight loss.^[4]

Species

There are ten species in this genus:^[1]

• Eupsophus altor Nuñez, Rabanal, and Formas, 2012
• Eupsophus calcaratus (Günther, 1881)
• Eupsophus contulmoensis Ortiz, Ibarra-Vidal, and Formas, 1989
• Eupsophus emiliopugini Formas, 1989
• Eupsophus insularis (Philippi, 1902)
• Eupsophus migueli Formas, 1978
• Eupsophus nahuelbutensis Ortiz and Ibarra-Vidal, 1992
• Eupsophus roseus (Duméril and Bibron, 1841)
• Eupsophus septentrionalis Ibarra-Vidal, Ortiz, and Torres-Pérez, 2004
• Eupsophus vertebralis Grandison, 1961

Notes and References

1. Web site: Eupsophus Fitzinger, 1843 . Frost, Darrel R. . 2014 . Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 . American Museum of Natural History . 27 May 2014.
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. 10.1655/04-21. Thresholds for evoked vocal responses of Eupsophus emiliopugini (Amphibia, Leptodactylidae). Herpetologica. 61. 1–8. 2005. Penna . M. . Narins . P. M. . Feng . A. S. . 10533/175958. 1556562. free.
4. 10.1163/156853806778190015. New parental care behaviours in two telmatobiine genera from temperate Patagonian forests: Batrachyla and Eupsophus (Anura: Leptodactylidae). Amphibia-Reptilia. 27. 3. 441–444. 2006. Úbeda . C. . Nuñez . J. . free.