William Edward Duellman

“ At Lago de Tejocotal Hyla charadricola was found beneath rocks near the shore of the lake and by a stream in the pine forest. Individuals were found on low vegetation over-hanging a small stream in pine-oak forest four kilometers southwest of Tianguistengo.
Five recently metamorphosed young (KU 58424-9) found at the type locality on June 8, 1960, have snout-vent lengths of 22.4 to 24.0 (average 23.2) mm. The young are colored like the adults, except that in life the dorsum is a brighter green and the flanks are more yellow than tan and have less dark spotting than in adults. ”

“ Females attain snout-vent lengths of 51 mm., have as many as 9 vomerine teeth, and have a proportionately larger tympanum than males. Some of the largest specimens of both sexes have indistinct cream-colored pustules scattered on the ventral surface of the forearm. Some individuals have nearly uniform grayish brown ventral surfaces; in others the chin, as well as the abdomen, is brown with cream-colored spots. The dorsal surfaces of some specimens are nearly uniform dark brown with no reticulations. In others the dorsum is paler brown with distinct darker mottling ”

“ Diagnosis.—Maximum snout-vent length in males, 48 mm.; snout in dorsal profile rounded; tarsal fold short and weak; inner metatarsal tubercle moderate in size and elliptical; outer metatarsal tubercle small, round, and indistinct; webbing extending to base of penultimate phalanx of fourth toe; nuptial spines on thumb small; weak thoracic fold present; anal opening above level of middle of thighs; dorsum dark brown with dark reticulations; venter brown with cream-colored flecks; flanks brown with creamy white spots ”

“ Adult male having a snout-vent length of 53.7 mm.; tibia length, 26.9 mm., 50.1 per cent of snout-vent length; foot length (measured from proximal edge of inner metatarsal tubercle to tip of longest toe) , 25.4 mm.; greatest width of head, 17.6 mm., 32.8 per cent of snout-vent length; head length, 16.0 mm., 29.8 per cent of snout-vent length; diameter of eye, 5.4 mm.; diameter of tympanum, 1.5 mm., 27.8 per cent of diameter of eye. Snout short, in lateral profile bluntly rounded, in dorsal profile broadly round ”

“ The Cauphias sternum recalls some of his figures for Sminthillus and Eleutherodactylus. This genus is probably most closely related to the latter and has probably become highly modified to meet some peculiar environmental condition or on account of some specialized habits as yet unknown." Kellogg (1932:118) placed Cauphias in the Leptodactylidae and stated that the terminal phalanges are T-shaped. Hartweg (1941:1) considered Plectrohyla to be the correct generic name for Cauphias guatemalensis; he thereby relegated Cauphias to the synonomy of Plectrohyla. ”

“ Forearm moderately robust; distinct fold on wrist; prepollex much enlarged with patch of small nuptial spines continuous on side of digit; similar line of nuptial spines on inner edge of second finger; subarticular tubercles round, moderate in size, none bifid; supernumerary tubercles small and present only proximally; fingers long and slender; length of fingers from shortest to longest, 1-2-4-3; discs moderately large, that on third finger about size of tympanum; no web between first and second fingers; rudimentary web between other fingers. Legs robust ”

“ Tadpoles.—The tadpoles of this species were described by Rabb and Mosimann (1955) . Tadpoles obtained from streams at 3.3 kilometers north and at 8.5 kilometers southeast of Zacualtipán, Hidalgo, are like those described by Rabb and Mosimann in having 2⁄3 tooth rows, peglike serrations on the beaks, and long rounded tails. The largest tadpole (KU 60078) has small hind legs, a body length of 22 mm., and a total length of 61 mm.
Remarks.—Taylor (1940:393) found frogs of this species in plants along small spring-fed rivulets in an open meadow at El Chico Parque Nacional. ”

“ Only this species has been reported to call (Shannon, 1951:473) . Insofar as is known, the other species are mute. Examination of skeletal preparations of H. bistincta, charadricola, and robertsorum and X-rays of the other species shows no notable specific differences in the osteology. Since the tadpoles of only H. bistincta (Duellman, 1961:47) and H. robertsorum (Rabb and Mosimann, 1955) are known, larval characters are of limited use in intra-group systematics.
Key to the Species of the Hyla bistincta Group
1. ”

“ A moderately heavy dermal fold from posterior corner of eye above tympanum and curving downward towards insertion of forearm; tympanum nearly round, covered by dermal fold above, its diameter slightly less than its distance from eye. ”