Oreophrynella

<i>Oreophrynella</i>

Oreophrynella

Genus of amphibians

Oreophrynella, commonly known as bush toads, is a genus of true toads native to the tepuis of southern Venezuela and adjacent Guyana.[1][2] The distribution of some species is restricted to a couple of tepuis or even a single tepui, as in the case of Oreophrynella weiassipuensis, which occurs on Wei-Assipu-tepui.[3]

Quick Facts Oreophrynella, Scientific classification ...

Description

Species of the genus Oreophrynella are small frogs, less than 26 mm (1.0 in) in snout–vent length. They are characterized by opposable digits of the foot, dorsal skin that bears tubercules, and direct development[3] (i.e., there is no free-living larval stage[4]). The presence of opposable digits, unique among bufonids, in combination with an extension of the interdigital integument and the relative length/orientation of the digits, is likely to be an adaptation to facilitate life on rocky tepui summits and an exaptation to arboreality[5] The genus also displays cranial simplification in the form of cranial fontanelles and absence of the quadratojugal, which may be driven by a reduction of developmental costs, increase in flexibility, and reduction of body weight.[5] The cranial simplification combined with the shortening of the vertebral column and shift towards a partly firmisternal girdle may be adaptations to the peculiar tumbling behaviour displayed by Oreophrynella.[5]

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Oreophrynella:[1]

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References

  1. [1]
    "Oreophrynella Boulenger, 1895 | Amphibian Species of the World". research.amnh.org. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  2. [2]
    "Bufonidae". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  3. [3]
    Señaris, Josefa Celsa; DoNascimiento, Carlos; Villarreal, Osvaldo (2005). "A new species of the genus Oreophrynella (Anura; Bufonidae) from the Guiana highlands" (PDF). Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia. 45 (6): 61–67. doi:10.1590/S0031-10492005000600001.
  4. [4]
    Vitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 166.
  5. [5]
    Kok, Philippe J. R.; van der Velden, Milan A. J.; Means, D. Bruce; Ratz, Sebastian; Josipovic, Iván; Boone, Matthieu; McDiarmid, Roy W. (2020). "Coping with the extremes: comparative osteology of the tepui-associated toad Oreophrynella and its bearing on the evolution of osteological novelties in the genus". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 190 (1): 114–139. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz172. hdl:1854/LU-8653313.
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