Notes on batrachians from Venezuela and Trinidad*
In 1925 I had the opportunity of collecting Batrachia Anura in Venezuela, in the country limited by Puerto Cabello and Caracas and principally in the region of Maracay where I stayed about five months. Before arriving, I stopped at Port-of-Spain, where I collected some of the batrachians of Trinidad, which geographically is closely connected with Venezuela. For the determination of this material I had to consult an extensive bibliography of which a catalogue is appended.
Rather against my expectations most of the species collected had already been described and named, some from Venezuela, others from South-American countries either in close connection or more distant. However the descriptions were generally made from dead material, rather short and mostly not accompanied by illustrations and biological observations, so that I thought it useful to contribute those as far as possible. The drawings were not made in colors, as the best time was passed, when they were begun, but I consider them characteristic enough, not to require a repetition of the descriptions of former authors indicated in the list of literature.
I do not expect to have missed many of the species occurring in the territory but this unfortunately represents only a part of the state and by no means the most interesting one.
I shall begin by giving a bibliographic catalogue of the literature I have been able to consult and after this a list of the species, found in the literature or collected by me with observations on their biology and relations and finally the explanation of the figures representing them on the accompanying plates. As an appendix I shall give a discussion of the species found in Trinidad.
Of the species registered from Venezuela, 23 were observed by me. The remaining must be rare or occurring in other parts of the country or there may have been an error in the determination as has happened probably in some cases. It is however quite likely that some of the species known only from neighboring states, may yet be discovered in Venezuelan territory, while other altogether new ones may appear in regions not yet explored by collectors of batrachians. This paper with its plates and references should make it possible to recognize any species found as already described or likely to be new. I should personally be very pleased to examine any Venezuelan batrachians which might turn up and call principally the attention of the collectors to a kind of Ceratrophys of which I heard without being able to obtain a specimen.
Bibliography of Batrachians from Venezuela and Trinidad
1856. Lichtenstein, H. & Martens, E. Nomencl. Rept. Mus. Berol.
1858. Guenther, A. Catalogue of the Batrachia salientia of the collection of the Brit. Mus. London.
1871. Cope, E. D. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc., Philadelphia, p.222. (At. spumarius).
1873. Peters. W. Monatsber. der Akad. d. Wissensch. Berlin.
1882. Boulenger, G. A. Catalogue of the Batrachia salientia of the Brit. Mus., v.2 (Out-of-print).
1887. Boulenger, G. A. Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., ser. 6, v.8, p.307.
1890. Boulenger, G. A. Sec. rep. on the Batr. coll. in the Nat. Hist. Mus., v.2, p.323-7. (Paludicola Fischeri).
1892. Boettger, O. Katalog der Batrachiersamml. der Senckenberg'schen Naturf. Ges. in Frankfurt a. M.
1894. Boulenger. G. A. Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., ser. 6, v.14, p.374. Substitution of the name Phryniscus by Atelopus.
1899. Werner, Fr. Ueber Reptilien und Batrachier aus Columbien u. Trinidad (ges. v. Prof. O. Buerger).
1885-1902. Guenther. A. Reptilia and Batrachia. Godmann & Salvin, Biol. Centrali-Amer.
1902. Stejneger, Leonh. An annotated list of the Batr. and Rept., coll. in the vicinity of La Guaira by Robinson & Lyon. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., v.24.
1903. Werner. Fr. Zool. Anzeigedr., Bd. 26.
1907. Boulenger. G. A. Zool. Anzeigedr, Bd. 26. Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., ser. 7, v.2. (Atelopus oxyrhynchus).
1911. Boulenger. G. A. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, v.2, p.1982. (Hyla Goughi).
1913. Fowler. Henry. Proc. Akad. Nat. Sc. Phil., p.170. (Amph. and rept. from Ecuador, Venezuela & Yucatan).
1918. Boulenger, G. A. Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., ser. 9, v.2.
1923. Nieden, Fr. Amph., Anura L. Lief. 46 v. Das Tierreich, Berlin u. Leipzig. Important treatise containing the Batrachia aglossa firmisternia with bibliographie up to the end of 1914. The continuation (Anura II, Lief. 49 gives the litterature till the end of 1919).
1923. Barbour, Thomas. A new Pipa, pl. 2, F. E. (Pipa parva Ruthven & Gaige).
1926. Roux, Jean – Notes d'erpétologie sudlaméricaine I. Sur une collection de Reptiles et d'Amphibiens de I’íle de la Trinité. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, v.33, n.4.
1926. Mertens, Robert. Herpetol. Mitteil. VIII-XV. Sonderabdr. aus Senckenbergiana, Bd. 8, H. 3-4. Frankfurt. a. Main. Werner & Winter.
Standard works of general interest of the study and determination of Batrachians
1834-54. Dumeril & Bibron. Erpétologie générale ou Histoire Nature–e. v.8 & 9. Paris.
1873-76. Hoffmann C. K. Bronn's Klassen und Ordnungen des Tierreichs. Amphibien. Leipzig.
1901. Gadow, H. Amphibians and reptiles. Cambridge Nat. Hist., v.8. London.
Other works on natural history, as well as some illustrated encyclopedias, might be consulted for general orientation.
In reference to Brazilian species of anura, many of which occur also in Venezuela, I only cite the following publications which are all illustrated:
1817-20. Spix, J. B. Animalia nova s. species novae. Testudineum et Ranaraum, quas in itinere per Brasiliam…. coll. et descr…., Monachi, 1841. Standard work, long out of print, and quite antiquated.
1912. Baumann, F. Zoo. Jahrb., Abt. f. Systematik, Bd. 33, p.89.
1926. Lutz, Adolpho. Observações sobre batráquios brasileiros. Parte I. O gênero Leptodactylus. Mem. Inst. Osw. Cruz, tomo XIX, fasc. II. Appeared before as separate and is accompanied by an english translation.
1926. Miranda Ribeiro, A. Notas para servirem ao estudo dos Gymnobatrachios brasileiros. Arquivos Mus. Nac., Rio de Janeiro, v.27.
List of Venezuelan Batrachia Anura
1. Pipa parva Ruthven & Gaige 1925. New species described from Sabana de Mendoza. I determined a specimen from Zulia given by Dr. E. Tejera.
2. Engystoma ovale (Schneider) 1799, cited from Caracas by Boettger. One specimen received from Pater Cornelius, Asylo de Trinidad, Maracay.
3. Atelopus spumarius Cope 1871. Cope's descriptions fit the species represented in fig. 27 & 28. except that I find the ventral side more white than yellow. Nieden (Batr. An., Lf. 2) unites spumarius with flavescens which does not seem justified considering that the very characteristic design described by Cope is constant in all my 46 specimens and its green color does not fit the name flavescens.
4. Atelopus oxyrhynchus Boul. 1903. found in Venezuela at an elevation of 20004000 m and apparently larger and unlike spumarius.
5. Atelopus cruciger (Martens), citens by Guenther from Curacao and Bibronii (Schmidt 1858) from Puerto Cabello considered synonymous by Guenther, Boulenger and Nieden, also seem larger and unlike spumarius.
6. Bufo marinus (L.) 1768. Very common. Cited from Caracas by Boettger. La Guaira (Robinson); also in Maracay (Lutz).
7. Bufo granulosus Spix 1824. Maracay. Commonly seen or heard after long rains.
8. Bufo sternosignatus Guenther 1858. Guenther, Boettger, Robinson Lutz (La Guaira).
9. Eupemphix pustulosa (Cope) 1864. Common in Maracay (Lutz), cited from Venezuela by Peters.
10. Hyla albomarginata Spix 1824. Cited from the region of La Guaira, coll. by Robinson.
11. Hyla crepitans Wied 1824. Quite common (Lutz).
12. Hyla pardalis Spix 1824. Cited by Boettger more likely to have been the foregoing species (crepitans).
13.1 Hyla acuminata Cope 1862. Cited from Venezuela, region of Maracay (Lutz).
14. Hyla rubra Daudin 1802 & 1803. Cited from Venezuela by Boettger but not found by Lutz. The observation might refer to some other species.
15. Hyla misera Werner 1903. Small and variable species, common in Caracas and Maracay. Does not seem different from H. Goughi Boul.
16. Hyla palpebrogranulata Anderson 1906. Tatarenda (Bolivia). Typical species found by me in Maracay.
17. Hyla platydactyla Boulenger 1905. Andes of Venezuela.
18. Hyla venulosa (Daudin) 1734. La Guaira (Robinson leg.), Maracay Lutz.
19. Hyla sp. indeterminata. Maracay. The only specimen was quite dry.
20. Hyla (Hyllela) sp. Small, green and quite young treefog. Reservoir of Mamo, near La Guaira.
21. Nototrema oviferum (Licht. & Weinl.) 1854. Venezuela.
22. Nototrema pygmaeum Boettger 1903. Puerto Cabello.
23. Pseudis paradoxa (L.) 1734. Maracay Lutz. Described from Surinam and found in other neighboring countries.
24. Leptodactylus bolivianus Boulenger 1898 (Bolivia). Common in Maracay and Caracas (Lutz). Cited from La Guaira by Stejneger as L. ocellatus (Robinson leg.).
25. Leptodactylus caliginosus 1853. Not well defined species with darkened ventral side which may include a not very common species observed by me.
26. Leptodactylus diptychus Boulenger 1918. (Andes da Venezuela). Maracay where the typical call is often heard (Lutz).
27. Leptodactylusmystacinus (Burmeister) 1861. Not found by me, although Boettger cites under this name a young Leptodactylus received from Caracas.
28. Leptodactylus typhonius (Daudin) 1802. Common in Maracay and probably also in a large part of Venezuela (Lutz).
29. Paludicola fischeri Boulenger 1890. Venezuela.
30. Pleurodema brachyops (Cope). Cited from Venezuela. It is quite common in the town of Maracay (Lutz).
31. Hylodes briceni Boulenger 1903. Merida, at 1600 m.
32. Hylodes bicumulus Peters. Caracas.
33. Hylodes gollmeri Peters. Caracas.
34. Hylodes maussi Boettger 1893. Puerto Cabello.
35. Hylodes anonymus n. sp. Lutz. I found still another, apparently undescribed species at the reservoir of Mamo near La Guaira. The only specimen was found dead in the water.
36. Phyllobates trinitatis Boulenger. Trinidad. Common in small water falls between Maracay and Ocumare de la Costa.
37. Rana palmipes Spix. This large firmistern frog is common, as well in Caracas, as in Maracay.
Additional list
38. Gastrotheca williamsoni Gaige, 1922. New species found by Williamson in San Esteban, Venezuela in 1920 and end described in: Occasional papers of the Museum of Zoology of the University of Michigan, n. 197, Febr. 25 th, 1922.
39. Hyla taurina (Fitz.) 1843. This species which comes near the genus Trachycephalus is mentioned by Nieden from neighboring countries only, but Miranda Ribeiro states that Boulenger cited numerous specimens from Venezuela.
40. Hyla geographica Spix. Cited by Guenther from Venezuela (obtained from Dyson).
41. Hyla maxima Laurenti, 1734. Two specimens caught at Manamo (Delta do Orinoco) by Fr. Bond were determined by Henry Fowler in 1913.
42. Phyllobates alboguttatus Boul, 1903. Described from one specimen, caught by Briceno in Merida et 1600 m. I got another specimen collected by Gabardon in the same region and given by the Amer. Mus. of Nat. Hist.
43. Hyloxalus collaris Garman. Merida. Received 1926.
44. Corythomanthis spec. One specimen, alike to Asphenodon brunoi Mir. Rib., is said by Mertens to be kept in the Senckenbergsche Museum in Frankfurt a. M. It was collected at S. Francisco on the Alto Orinoco and was mentioned by Boettger under the name: Hyla nigromaculata Tschudi.
45. Bufo typhonius & pleuropterus considered synonymous by Guenther.
46. Leptodactylus pentadactylus (Laur.) 1734.
47. Hyla boulengeri (Cope) 1887.
48. Hyla punctata (Schneider) 1799.
49. Hyla wilsoniana.
50. Atelopus flavescens Dum. & Bibr. 1841.
The numbers 45-50 are said by Gaige to exist in the Zoolog. Museum of the University of Michigan together with 17 of the above cited species having been collected in Venezuela.
Notes to the list of the Venezuelan batrachians
1. Pipa parva: Both observations were made in the same region where this Pipa ought to be rather common as both times more than one specimen were found. There are no observations from other regions. There are now several species of Pipa known, all found in the north of South-America. The largest, Pipa americana Laur. (=Rana pipa L.) found in Guyana, Trinidad and Northern Brasil, might also occur in Venezuela.
Pipa and the allied Protopipa are easily distinguished from other batrachians. Not only is the skeleton quite different but the tongue and the tympana are absent while the eyes are very small. The narrow mouth does not allow the ingestion of larger animals. The fingers end in radiate papillae and the toes are joined by a large web. As might be expected from these characters and the general dark color they are aquatic and given to hide themselves mostly at the bottom of the water. The eggs are fixed by means of a specially adapted organ on the back of the mother where the development takes place in a kind of kyst which forms around each egg.
2. Engystoma ovale: The Engystomidae are firmistern with enlarged sacral processes and without teeth. The species of Engystoma seem to feed on termites and other small animals living on and in the earth as indicated by the small mouth, the dark color and the burrowing habit. They are found in excavating, also in agricultural work or under stones.
Engystoma ovale, is black with a few somewhat variable yellow spots or lines and is widely spread in South-America. Fig. 2 on pl. 8 is copied from an aquarel of a live specimen caught in Bahia.
3-5. The species of Atelopus have often gone under the name Phryniscus. The first name applies to the reduced state of the fingers and toes observed in varying degree in many species. The genus is included in the Engystomatidae.or Brachycephalidae. I never found flavescens or bibronii but I have 45 specimens which agree quite well with the description of spumarius Cope, but for the ventral side being more white than yellow. My specimens were caught in a mountain brook near Rancho Grande between Maracay and Ocumare de la Costa. They are of uniform type without very pronounced variations. They are numerous on the stones in and near the brook but drop in the water as soon as disturbed. The lightcolored spots on the back are olivegreen in life and give to the whole animal a green color well known to some of the dwellers of the place.
6. Bufonidae: The common toads are easily recognized by their more heavy form and the skin studed with salient glands which may be capped with corneous points. The colors, as a rule, are dull, as fit for animals which avoid the light and hide in day-time. The generally rather short legs are used more for walking and running than for leaping. Toads are considered worth protection as they live on slugs, earthworms and many insects injurious to agriculture which they catch with their tongue attached only at the anterior margin and free behind. They have no teeth but the drums are well developed. They are arcistern [sic] with enlarged sacral processes and simple terminal joints of fingers and toes.
6-7. Bufo sternosignatus is found on the coast and much like crucifer which is very common in Brazil. My only specimen was found in Mamo near La Guaira. The species reaches to Colombia and perhaps over Central America up to Mexico. The general color is brownish.
8-9. Bufo granulosus is found in Brazil, north of Rio de Janeiro and is common in Bahia. It occurs also in Paraguai and Guiana. The colors is ashlgray, different of other species of Bufo and it is much smaller than marinus. It hides very much during dry time and shows itself only in decidedly rainy weather when its very peculiar and characteristic calls is frequently heard. It is a tremolo reminding of the sound produced by shaking a bag with dry peas. Its flesh seems to be very much appreciated by larger batrachians from which it must be carefully separated. As the name implies it is covered with granular warts.
9. The genus Empemphix and the species pustulosa (Cope 1864) have been considered by some authors as Bufonidae because of the total absence of maxillary teeth. Peters in 1889 even called it Bufo atrigularis. However the observation during life permits no doubt about its close relation to Paludicola (where it was placed by Cope, notwithstanding the lack of teeth which does not always justify the formation of a new genus. Pustulosa has a very dull coloring without certain striking markings clearly seen in Paludicola and Pleurodema and very clearly in Eupemphix nana. Even so, its general behaviour, its oviposition and its voice are quite alike to those of Paludicola and different from those of Bufonidae.
According to Nieden the species extends from Mexico to Venezuela. I found it also in Trinidad from where it was described by Boulenger as Eupemphix trinitatis (1889). It is common in Port-of-Spain, as well, as in Maracay, but hides very much in the dirty waters were it is protected by its coloring. It even enters in the sewers where its voice is heard though it can not be seen.
10-22. Hylidae: The Hylidae are arboreal and easily recognized by the terminal disks of fingers and toes, as well as by the web which may be absent on the fingers but is generally seen on the toes. The call is characteristic and very different from one species to the other. They are often seen coming down from the trees (where they like to hide in the epiphytic Bromeliaceae) to the collections of water on the ground where the sexes meet before the spawning. Their design is not only varying individually but the colors also may change from one moment to another with quite extraordinary facility. The number of south american species is very large, a few only being found in my a few field observation.
10. Hyla albomarginata: This species, very common near Rio de Janeiro, was not met by me in Venezuela nor in Trinidad. As there are many similar species the specimen found by Robinson ought to be compared again. My number 17 (from the same region) is quite small but seems different and shows no tympanum.
11. Hyla crepitans: This Hyla is common in Maracay and Port-of-Spain. I have also met it in Caracas. Its call, a loud croak, was heard from the month of June onwards, when it was often found near or in the water where it is more easily caught as on the threes. It general shows a rather bright orangebrown but like many other large treefrogs it is changeable in color and design. Although undoubtedly different it much resembles Hyla pardalis with which it may have been confounded by Boettger.
12. Hyla pardalis Boettger: The frog cited under this name by Boettger is more likely to be crepitans. Perhaps Hyla indris described by Cope from Surinam is in the same case.
13. Hyla acuminata Cope: This species is rather like Hyla rubra though the yellow areolar design shows a different arrangement, principally on the things; the size is smaller, only 3.5 to 3.8 cm being the usual length. There is an appendix at the heal and the throat of the males is black with two lateral vocal sacs. The call is different also.
14. Hyla rubra Daudin: There are some doubts about the identify of this species. Baumann (Zoolog. Jahrb. System., Bd. 33, p.108) gave a description and drawings quite typical for one of the most common species of the zone of Rio de Janeiro, but apparently different from specimens caught in Guiana and received under this name. I did not observe this form of Baumann in Trinidad or Venezuela, thought Boettger cites H. rubra from Venezuela.
15. Hyla misera Werner: This species shows great variation in design and color but the small size and the voice are characteristic. The latter sounds like the winding up of a watch. The little frogs are gregarious and found generally on higher plants growing in swamps. The name is older than goughi Boulenger which seems to refer to the same species collected in Trinidad. As I found no other species liable to confusion I think some small differences in the descriptions may be neglected.
16. Hyla palpebrogranulata Anderson: Live specimens show very well the granulations on the upper eyelid. Though we knew its characteristic call, I obtained rather few samples.
17. Hyla platydactyla Boulenger: The design and coloration reminds one of some species of Phyllomedusa though it can not enter in this genus.
18. Hyla venulosa: This species occurs in a large area of Central and South-America. It is striking by its large size, the great discs on fingers and toes and the loud voice of the male but due to its arboreal habits it is caught only occasionally. The skin has a very viscid secretion, almost like the latex of some rubber containing plants. The design varies individually, as shown by Baumann (loc. cit.) in three figures, but the colors, sooty brown and dirty white, are more constant than in many other Hyla.
19. Hyla sp. indeterminata: The only specimen was dead and like a mummy. In water the form was mostly recovered, but not the color, so that it was hardly fit for determination.
20. Hyla (Hyllela) spec.: Small and apparently young specimen of green color showing absence of tympanum and vomerine teeth. The classification among several similar forms it not possible.
21-22. Nototrema oviferum & paradoxum: Unfortunately I have not obtained these venezuelian species which, like others of the same genus, seem rather rare. The males of Nototrema are not characteristic but the females have under the dorsal skin a pouch in which the eggs develop and produce (in oviferum and paradoxum) little frogs completely transformed. The opening of the pouch is seen on the back a little above the vent.
23. Pseudisparadoxa: The genus Pseudis of somewhat uncertain relationship, limited to South-America, is arcistern and aquatic. The forelegs are short and weak but the hindlegs are very much developed and show enormous webs. They rarely come out of the water where they are not easily caught, though they can be taken by angling. The call of paradoxa is a characteristic short croak. This genus, first known from Surinam is notorious on account of the occurrence of enormous tadpoles which look somewhat like fishes and have been confounded with such.
I have not got many specimens but to judge by the species is rather common in permanent pools.
24-28. Leptodactylus: This genus has many representatives in South America looking generally like the common frogs of the genus Rana but belonging to the arcisternia. Dentition, tongue and tympanum are well developed, finger and toes without disks and webs. Some of the species are terrestrial, but the larger number is found near or in the water where the spawn is deposited in gelatinous masses. The call varies considerably according to the species. The colors are rather lively and show not much variation. The skin shows often glandular folds or papillae but no parotids.
24. Leptodactylus bolivianus: While L. oce–atus the common species of Brazil is not found in Venezuela, at least in my field of observation, it is substituted by another species rather alike in aspect and habits. This was described by Boulenger as bolivianus. But is also found in Venezuela and apparently even in Guyana. It does not attain the size of oce–atus but the coloration is alike: upper side olivaceous or bronze with dark spots and ventral side white. Like in several larger species, including oce–atus the males have thickened arms. I have not heard the call but by the description of Robinson it is alike to that of oce–atus.
25. The description of L. caliginosus was not illustrated and not clear enough for a certain identification. The species represented in fig. 14 was found in Guyana and determined as caliginosus in North America probably on account on the pigmentation of the ventral side which is not a sufficient sign. Though the species is small the male shows on the first finger a lateral and a terminal horny papilla. These are generally found only in larger species like bolivianus and oce–atus but also in some more reddish specimens taken in Guyana seem to me only a color variety. I have no biological observations on these frogs.
26. Leptodactylus diptychus was described by Boulenger from a specimen labeled “Andes de Venezuela”. He gives the length as 42 mm but my specimens (all males) do not exceed 38 mm. They have on both sides an external vocal pouch which may be retracted in a cleft with pigmented margins.
The species is rarer as bolivianus but its typical call, somewhat between a whistle and a croak, proves that it is more abundant than one would expected. It likes to hide in wholes at the edge of the water.
The color and the design of diptychus are not unlike those of bolivianus but the males are not only much smaller but lack the thickening of the arms and the hornpapillae on the first finger.
27. Leptodactylus mystacinus: Terrestrial species of middling size hiding in holes likes the next species. The call is a characteristic whistle.
28. Leptodactylus typhonius: This species. The call is a characteristic in Maracay, probably also in a great part of Venezuela. Its whistling is characteristic and frequently heard. It may be found at a considerable distance from the next water and likes to hide in holes, under stones and beneath dry excrements of cattle. Its color on the back is olivegreen or bronze with many dark spots forming crossbands on the members. The under side is white. The male has no nuptial organs and the arms are not thickened but there are lateral vocal sacs, generally retracted in a cleft with dark edges. The spawn is deposited in holes which may become full of water.
29-30. Paludicola and Pleurodema are separated principally by the absence of vomerine teeth in the first genus. They come pretty near to Leptodactylus from which they differ by a cartilagineous and bilobate episternum. The prevalent color of the upper side is brownisch with darker spots in varying arrangement while the ventral aspect is white, but more or less dotted with black, principally at the throat of the males. The inguinal region is as a rule marked by a discoidal glandular elevation or a corresponding flat spot. Those are black with a halo of red or bright orange color. The voice is typical, like the wailing of babies. The eggs are creamcolored and deposited in frothy masses near the water where the adults may also be found.
29. Paludicola fischeri: This species seemed to be wanting in my field of observation.
30. Pleurodema brachyops: This large and conspicous species is easily recognized by the black inguinal spot surrounded by an orangered area. Already known from the neighboring countries it is very common in Maracay where it is found in the same ditches as Eupemphix pustulosa.
31-35. The genus Hylodes differs from Hyla by the fingers and toesbeing little or not webbed, both with only small disks and the last phalanges in form of a T. It contains a large number of species the relations of which are not well defined. Some spawn in damp places where the whole metamorphosis takes place in the egg.
31-34. These species not known to me seem to belong to other parts of Venezuela.
35. This species is somewhat alike to a Hylodes of Rio de Janeiro, H. guentheri Steind. nec go–meri Peters, but does not belong to it.
36. Phy–obates, Dendrobates, Hylaplesia and Hyloxalus are small frogs rather alike to Hylodes but without vomerine teeth. The males of some of them may be seen carrying tadpoles on their back. Phy–obates trinitatis is not found in the brooks coming down from the litoral mountains. They like to hide in holes used by crabs which live there. The call is like the sound made by locusts.
The collar in the gular region is very characteristic as well as an orange zone near to it. The females form an exception by being more showy than the males.
37. The genus Rana is firmistern and well represented in the old world and in North America. R. palmipes seems the only South American species. I observed it near to the capital of Pernambuco. It is easily recognized by its size, the green back and the large webs of the feet. It could only be confounded with some species of pseudis but those are smaller and arcisterns. R. palmipes is common in Maracay and Caracas and its rather characteristic croak is often heard. This frog is aquatic but may be found even in day time on the margin of the rivulets and ditehes with running or stagnant water where also the tadpoles are found. Those near to the metamorphosis are quite large.
40.2 I left for this place the Hyla geographica Spix, cited by Guenther from Venezuela (Collection of Dyson), as I feel uncertain to which species this author refers. He does not seem to use the name as a synonym of Trachycephalus nigromaculatus nor of Hyla faber whose characteristic call would have been heard. More likely it may belong to Hyla maxima, found in Venezuela, in the region of Manamo (Delta of the Orinoco), on Trinidad and in other neighboring regions.
41. Hyla maxima: This large frog of brown or reddish color attains a length of 117 mm. It has large webs on the fore and hind feet and a triangular appendix on the heel. It seems much alike to Hyla faber. The collector heard the call of other specimens.
42. Phyllobates alboguttatus: The described specimen had a length of 25 mm. It was distinguished by small rounded spots of white color forming regular longitudinal bands at the sides of the black dorsum.3
Explanation of Plates 16-23
Plate 16
1. Pipa parva Ruthven & Gaige. Nat. size.
2. Engystoma ovale (Schn.). Nat. size.
3. 4. Bufo sternosignatus Guenther. Nat. size.
5, 6. Bufo granulosus Spix. Nat. size.
Plate 17
7, 8, 9. Rana palmipes Spix. VV nat. size.
Plate 18
10, 11. Leptodactylus bolivianus Boul. Adult male ½ nat. size.
12, 13. Leptodactylus diptychus Boul. Adult male in nat. size.
Plate 19
14, 15. Leptodactylus caliginosus Girard. Male in nat. size.
16. Hyla misera Werner. Adult from above in nat. size. (See also F. 27).
17. Pleurodema brachyops Cope. Ad., from above, in nat. size. (S. a. F. 23).
18, 19. Pseudis paradoxa (L.). ½ nat. size.
20. Hyla palpebrogranulata Anderson. Nat. size.
Plate 20
21, 22. Leptodactylus typhonius (Daud.) Ad. male in half size, reproduced from an aquarelle made in Brazil.
23. Pleurodema brachyops (Cope). Under side. Natur. size.
24. Hyla sp. indeterm. Nat. size.
25. 26. Eupemphix pustulosa (Cope). Nat. size.
Plate 21
27, 28. Atelopus spumarius (Cope). Nat. size.
29, 30. Hylodes incertus Lutz. Nat. size.
31, 32. Phy–obates trinitatis. Boul Nat. size.
Plate 22
33. Hyla venulosa (Daud.). Upper side. 33 b mouth, a under side of fore, c upper side of hind foot.
34. The same, ventral side. Nat. size.
Plate 23
35. 36. Hyla crepitans Wied. Nat. size. 35 male, seen from above. 35 a mouth; 36 female, seen sideways, 36 a fore foot from below, 36 b hind foot from above. (The shadow between the middle fingers in fig. 36 has been left by mistake).
37. Hyla misera Werner. Side view.
38. Hyla (Hyle–a) sp. indeterm. Nat. size. (Young individual) ?).
Batrachia Anura of the Isle of Trinidad
From may 25th to june 1st 1925 I had a chance to collect Batrachia Anura in Trinidad. Having obtained some ten species I proceeded to investigate the literature on these and other species formerly known from this island. I found references to most of the collected species, none of which was altogether unknown. Some of them had been described as new species, but apparently all but two had been found before on the neighboring continent. There are no references on the Batrachia Anura of the eastern part of Venezuela with which Trinidad is geographically connected, being only separated by the Gulf of Paria which is neither broad nor deep. We may, however, believe that the species of Trinidad may occur there also, with very few exceptions, as this is the case even for the more distant central and western part of the coast. For this reason I thought fit to attach some notes on the batrachians of Trinidad to my studies on the batrachia found in the region from La Guaira to Puerto Cabello and from Caracas to Valencia.
List of Batrachians of Trinidad found by others on collected by me
1. Bufo marinus L. Common. Werner 1899, Lutz 1925, Roux 1926.
2. Eupemphix pustulosa Cope 1864. Boulenger 1889; Werner 1899, Lutz. “trinitatis Boulenger 1889. Bufo atrigularis Werner 1899”.
3. Hyla venulosa (Laur.) 1734 Werner 1899, Lutz, Roux.
4. Hyla maxima (Laur.) 1734 Lutz, Roux.
5. Hyla crepitans Wied Lutz, (Boettger 1892, Gerold ded.) Roux.
6. Hyla lineomaculata Werner 1899.
7. Hyla misera Werner 1903 Boulenger 1911, Lutz. ≪ Goughi Blgr. 1911≫.
8. Hyla spectrum Reinh. & Luetke, 1862. Lutz.
9. Phylomedusa burmeisteri Blgr. Roux.
10. Leptodactylus typhonius (Daud.) 1802 Lutz, Roux.
11. Leptodactylus caliginosus Girard 1853. Lutz, Roux.
12. Hylodes urichi Boettger 1894. – Boettger 1894, Lutz, Roux.
13. Phyllobates trinitatis Blgr. Boulenger, Lutz, Roux. (Hyloxalus collaris).
14. Rana palmipes Spix. Roux, 1926.
Annotation to the List of Batrachians of Trinidad
1. Bufo marinus.The specimens caught in Trinidad correspond to the most common type.
2. Eupemphix pustulosa. I consider the names given by Boulenger and Werner to this common species as synonym with pustulosa.
3. Hyla venulosa. It is not rare near to the capital, to judge by the call of the males heard from the trees.
4. Hyla maxima. I obtained only one specimen near the capital.
5. Hyla crepitans. Common species.
6. Hyla lineomaculata. The size not being given, it is difficult to know, if it is a separate species or already known by another name.
7. Hyla goughi. This small and gregarious species is commonly found near the swamps where it breeds.
8. Hyla spectrum (=punctillata). This species, described from Minas, has been found by me twice in the region of Rio de Janeiro and once in Trinidad, at some distance from the capital. The tadpoles just before the metamorphosis are quite large, completely black and very gregarious. At the end of the metamorphosis the back becomes cream or light brown, densely punctuated with black. The little frogs do not seem to grow much more and are quite typical and different from any other species. The small frogs correspond well to Cophomantis punctillata Peters, a probable synonym of later date.
9. Phyllomedusa burmeisteri Boul. (=trinitatis Mertens) The first determinations seemed not very likely, because of the habitat, and the specimens probably all belonged to the recently described species of Mertens.
10. Leptodactylus typhonius. The whistling call of this species was frequently heard in many places.
11. Leptodactylus caliginosus. Found near to the capital.
12. Hylodes urichi. This pretty species was seen near Port-of-Spain, but is rather difficult to catch.
13. Phyllobates trinitatis. Rather common near the capital.
14. Rana palmipes. Apparently much rarer on Trinidad than in Venezuela, and only mentioned by Roux, as found quite far from the capital.
Of the above mentioned species six have not yet been caught in Venezuela but may be found still at least in the parts near to Trinidad.