Lepidobatrachus laevis
Lepidobatrachus laevis in shallow water
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Ceratophryidae
Genus: Lepidobatrachus
Species:
L. laevis
Binomial name
Lepidobatrachus laevis
Budgett, 1899

Lepidobatrachus laevis, widely known as Budgett's frog, is a species of frog in the family Ceratophryidae, discovered by John Samuel Budgett.[2] It is often kept as a pet. It has acquired a number of popular nicknames, including hippo frog,[3] Freddy Krueger frog,[3] and escuerzo de agua.[4]

Description

Lepidobatrachus laevis photographed at Newport Aquarium

This frog has become popular in pet stores due to its comical flat appearance and intelligent behavior.[5] Females reach a size of 100 millimetres (3.9 in) while males sometimes only grow half as large. They have a large head that makes up to 1/3 of the body, with a notably large mouth. Their mouth contains a top row of teeth and two "fangs" on the lower jaw. They have extremely short and stubby limbs and the forelimbs are unwebbed. L. laevis is dark olive green with darker blotches outlined in orange. The males have a dark blue throat.[4]

Diet and behavior

Lepidobatrachus laevis photographed at Kyoto Aquarium

The wide-mouth frog is well adapted to its environment, notably the harsh winter. During this time it will remain inactive underground in a cocoon of shed dead skin which protects it from losing water until it emerges. This species is generally very aggressive and will puff up when threatened to appear larger.[4][6] If this behavior does not deter the intruder they will make a shrill screech, bite, and corner the target.[7] They are nocturnal and hunt at night, submerged up to their nostrils waiting for prey to pass by. They then lunge and swallow the prey whole.[8] They feed on other frogs, insects, and snails.[9] Both adults and tadpoles of the species are known to be occasional cannibals.[8][10][11] The tadpoles of this species are obligate carnivores that swallow their prey whole.[10] The diet of L. laevis tadpoles is similar to that of adults and includes snails, insects, other tadpoles, and crustaceans.[9] They have a different gut morphology than non-carnivorous tadpoles.[11]

Reproduction

L. laevis can produce up to 1400 eggs in a single mating. A pair will reproduce and deposit a mass of fertilized eggs in temporary pools of water. The embryo develops at a rapid rate over two weeks, in order to metamorphize into mobile adolescent form before the breeding pool dries up.[7] The tadpoles are carnivores and cannibalistic at the time of hatching and have nearly adult jaws. They sexually mature in about a year.[12]

Distribution and conservation

It is commonly observed in Paraguay and Bolivia, and less frequently in Argentina. Its natural habitats are the dry and wet Chaco. Breeding may take place in shallow temporary pools and artificial ponds. It is in some areas threatened by habitat loss but there is a large total population size. The species is listed as Least Concern in view of its relatively wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining rapidly enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.[1]

Captivity

These frogs are often kept by keepers with mild experience with frogs or advanced owners. A ten to twenty gallon tank is generally recommended, without aquarium gravel because it causes digestive issues. River stones are a better alternative. Rocks should be sloped to allow the frog to exit the water. They do not require special heating in houses with a comfortable temperature of about 72 °F (22 °C). This species of frog needs to be kept alone or with members of the same species and of equal size, as they will consume anything smaller than themselves.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Aquino L, De la Riva I, Céspedez J (2004). "Lepidobatrachus laevis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T57111A11581308. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T57111A11581308.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Frost DR (2014). "Lepidobatrachus laevis Budgett, 1899". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Rearick M. "Budgett's Frog". Animal-World. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Infante CR (June 2009). Whittaker K (ed.). "Lepidobatrachus laevis". AmphibiaWeb. Berkeley, CA, USA: University of California. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  5. ↑ Tilson-Willis A (1 December 2011). "Budgett's Frogs". Reptiles Magazine. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Hanken J (August 1993). "Model systems versus outgroups alternative approaches to the study of head development and evolution". American Zoologist. 33 (4): 448–456. doi:10.1093/icb/33.4.448.
  7. 1 2 Vellard J (1948). "Batracios del Chaco argentino" [Batracios of the Argentine Chaco.]. Acta Zoologica Lilloana. (in Spanish). 5: 137–174.
  8. 1 2 Fabrezi M, Lobo F (November 2009). "Hyoid skeleton, its related muscles, and morphological novelties in the frog Lepidobatrachus (anura, ceratophryidae)". Anatomical Record. 292 (11): 1700–1712. doi:10.1002/ar.21014. hdl:11336/52023. PMID 19876955. S2CID 1421471.
  9. 1 2 Fabrezi M, Cruz JC (July 2020). "Evolutionary and developmental considerations of the diet and gut morphology in ceratophryid tadpoles (Anura)". BMC Developmental Biology. 20 (1): 16. doi:10.1186/s12861-020-00221-5. PMC 7388516. PMID 32723314.
  10. 1 2 Ruibal R, Thomas E (1988). "The Obligate Carnivorous Larvae of the Frog, Lepidobatrachus laevis (Leptodactylidae)". Copeia. 1988 (3): 591–604. doi:10.2307/1445377. ISSN 0045-8511. JSTOR 1445377.
  11. 1 2 Bloom S, Ledon-Rettig C, Infante C, Everly A, Hanken J, Nascone-Yoder N (May 2013). "Developmental origins of a novel gut morphology in frogs". Evolution & Development. 15 (3): 213–223. doi:10.1111/ede.12035. PMC 3870478. PMID 23607305.
  12. ↑ Faivovich, J. (1994). La distribución del género Lepidobatrachus (Budgett, 1899) (Leptodactylidae: Ceratophryinae). Acta Zoologica Lilloana, 43(1), 137-174.
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