AmphibiaWeb - Melanophryniscus devincenzii
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(Translations may not be accurate.)

Melanophryniscus devincenzii Klappenbach, 1968
family: Bufonidae
genus: Melanophryniscus

© 2006 Raul Maneyro (1 of 8)
Conservation Status (definitions)
IUCN Red List Status Account Endangered (EN)
CITES No CITES Listing
National Status Uruguay: Endangered (Amenazada)
Regional Status None
Access Conservation Needs Assessment Report .

   

 

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Description
Female: 24-29 mm, Male: 20-25 mm. Dorsum brown, sometimes with two longitudinal light ocher bands and/or glandular strings. Belly black with a red subtriangular blotch from the thighs to the chest. This toad exhibits a medium-size frontal swelling.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay

 

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.
The habitat for this species is in northern Uruguayan hills.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
The diet of this toad consists mainly of ants and acari. M. devincenzii is an explosive breeder, with diurnal activity throughout the year. They reproduce after rains. The advertisement call has two components (a very long whistle and a train of vibrations). During amplexus the couple swim under water, and the eggs are deposited in several inmersions (sometimes under rocks). This species exhibits the defensive behavior named "Unkenreflex".

Trends and Threats
Habitat loss and fragmentation seem to be the main threat for M. devincenzii.

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss
Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities
Intensified agriculture or grazing
Habitat fragmentation

References

Achaval, F., and Olmos, A. (2003). Anfibios y reptiles del Uruguay Ed. Graphis. Serie Fauna N°, Montevideo, Uruguay.

Klappenbach, M. A. (1968). ''Notas Herpetológicas IV. El género Melanophrynius (Amphibia, Salientia) en el Uruguay, con descripción de dos nuevas especies.'' Comunicaciones Zoológicas del Museo de Historia Natural de Montevideo, 118, 1-12.

Klappenbach, M. A., and Langone, J. A. (1992). ''Lista sistemática y sinonímica de los anfibios del Uruguay con comentarios y notas sobre su distribución.'' Anales del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Montevideo (2a Serie), 8, 163-222.

Kolenc, F. (1987). ''Anuros del género Melanophryniscus en la República Oriental del Uruguay.'' Aquarama, 5(30), 16-21.

Langone, J. A. (1994). Ranas y sapos del Uruguay (reconocimientos y aspectos biológicos). Museo Damaso Antonio Larrañaga 5, Serie de Divulgación

Maneyro, R., and Langone, J. A. (2001). ''Categorización de los anfibios del Uruguay.'' Cuadernos de Herpetología, 15(2), 107-118.

Núñez, D., Maneyro, R., Langone, J. A. and De Sá, R. O. (2004). ''Distribución geográfica de la fauna de anfibios del Uruguay.'' Smithsonian Herpetological Information Series, 134, 1-34.



Originally submitted by: Raúl Maneyro (first posted 2006-08-04)
Edited by: David Wake (2006-08-04)

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2006 Melanophryniscus devincenzii <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/343> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Mar 28, 2024.



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Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 28 Mar 2024.

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