Juan R. León

“ The specimens seem to be more like Hyla rubra than any of the other species in the rubra group. The presence of oval choanae and a tympanum larger than the largest finger disc separate these specimens from Hyla elaeochroa, a species with which rubra has been confused. Hyla elaeochroa does not occur in the Canal Zone or eastern Panamá. All museum specimens from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and western Panamá that have been called Hyla rubra, plus those mentioned by Dunn and Emlen (1932:25) and Dunn (1933:61) are Hyla elaeochroa. ”

“ The squamosal is small, its anterior arm slender and pointed. The posterior arm of the squamosal is pointed terminally and articulates with the proötic medially.
The prevomer is large and elongate. Anteriorly the prevomer is connected to the maxillary-premaxillary articulation; posteriorly, the prevomer is separated from the sphenethmoid by cartilage. Each prevomer bears six to nine teeth. The palatine is present and edentate. The anterior end of the parasphenoid is broad (less pointed than in Hyla foliamorta) . The pterygoid is slender and well developed. ”

“ Hyla boulengeri and H. foliamorta are distinctive in the large size of adults (snout-vent lengths 41-49 mm.) ; both have prominent bars on the thighs, a well-defined interorbital triangular mark, blotches or spots dorsally, and large choanae. Hyla elaeochroa, H. rubra, and H. staufferi are smaller (snout-vent lengths 29-40 mm.) ; they have the thighs weakly barred or vermiculate anteriorly and posteriorly or unmarked, an ill-defined interorbital triangular mark, linear markings dorsally, and small choanae.
Key to Species and Subspecies
1. ”

“ Only the most important references are given in the synonymies, except those of the two subspecies of Hyla staufferi, which are more nearly complete. The taxonomic history of each frog is discussed under Remarks in each account. The cranial osteology was studied by using skeletons and cleared and stained specimens of all species. Developmental stages of tadpoles were determined from Gosner's (1960) table. Personal field work in Central America in the summer of 1966 provided an opportunity to make observations on the ecology, calling sites, and color in life ”

“ Table 3.—Sizes of Tadpoles of Hyla boulengeri in Relation to Developmental Stages.
(Means in parentheses below observed ranges; measurements in mm.)
A recently metamorphosed young has a snout-vent length of 15 mm.; the head is as long as wide, the eyes are prominent; the limbs are weakly barred; the skin is rugose above and granular below. The venter is immaculate; the dorsum and limbs are gray-brown in preservative (pale green in life) . The interorbital space, supratympanic fold, and scapular region are darker than the rest of the body; the fingers lack webbing ”

“ One protuberance is present on the midlateral concavity of the nasal. Posteriorly, the nasal overlaps the sphenethmoid; posterolaterally the nasal articulates with the palatine. The sphenethmoid is completely ossified and pentagonal in dorsal view. The frontoparietal is elongate, without a pronounced anterior supraorbital process. The frontoparientals are sutured medially throughout their lengths; the frontoparietal fontanelle is absent.
The bony part of the proötic is narrowly separated dorsolaterally from the squamosal by the cartilaginous crista parotica. The squamosal is large ”

“ The mating call of this species is a series of closely spaced notes having a fundamental frequency of about 100 cycles per second. Each note has a duration of 0.13 to 0.23 second, repeated at intervals that are longer than the duration of the call. The notes are moderately low-pitched and have a dominant frequency of more than 3,000 cycles per second and about 120 pulses per second (Table 2) . ”

“ Fouquette (1958) found calling males in May, August, and September near Miraflores Locks, Canal Zone. Calling stations vary from one to two meters above ground. No clasping pairs have been found; only one female is known (KU 101589, from 8 km NE Tocumen, Panamá) ; this gravid individual was collected in early June.
The mating call of Hyla foliamorta consists of one pulsed, low-pitched, moderate trill of about O.5 second duration. ”

“ Hobart M. Smith, University of Illinois Museum of Natural History (UIMNH) ; Charles F. Walker, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ) ; Jay M. Savage, University of Southern California (USC) ; James A. Peters, United States National Museum (USNM) ; Richard J. Baldauf, Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection (TCWC) ”