Description
Scinax muriciensis is a medium-size frog described from four adult males with snout-vent lengths ranging from 27.0 - 28.9 mm. No females were used for the species description. The head is slightly longer than wide. From the dorsal view, this tree frog has a rounded snout, bulging eyes, and a very narrow pelvic area. From the ventral view, the rounded snout is still prominent, the narrow pelvic area is even more pronounced. There are non-developed nuptial pads on the hands. Its front feet are slightly larger than its head. There are supernumerary tubercles present, and its foot webbing formula is I – II 1^½ – 3⁺ III 1^½ – 2^½ IV 2^½ – 1^½ V (Cruz et al. 2011).

DIAGNOSIS:

They share the most physical characteristics with S. strigilatus, and both members of the S. catharinae group. Although they are both brown to camouflage in their arboreal habitat, they differ in that S. muriciensis has large granules on the forearm, a more pointed snout in the profile, and round finger discs while S. strigilatus has small granules on the forearm, a lower snout profile, and elliptical finger discs (Cruz et al. 2011).

COLORATION:

In life, S. muriciensis have a general pale brown-colored pattern on their dorsum with darker coloration around their midbody arranged in stripes that become spots at the mid-body and sacral region. They have a W-shaped mark between their eyes and a darker pigmented canthus rostralis. There is a white spot in the axilla and green flash marks in the inguinal and hidden regions of the thighs and shanks. The dorsal surface of the limbs and feet are stripped. The hands are spotted with brown. The ventrum is white with dark brown spots that may merge into marbling on the gular and limbs. From the ventral view, you barely see this striped pattern on the limbs. In preservative, the colors fade but the patterning remains the same (Cruz et al. 2011).

VARIATION:

The male specimens generally had consistent morphology, except the snout varied in how much it protruded. Additionally, the amount of spotting or marbling on the ventrum varies (Cruz et al. 2011).

For Tadpole Description see: Dubeux, M. J. M., da Silva, G. R. S., do Nascimento, F. A. C., Gonçalves, U., Mott, T. (2019). “Síntese histórica e avanços no conhecimento de girinos (Amphibia: Anura) no estado do Alagoas, nordeste do Brasil.” Revista Nordestina de Zoologia 12: 18–52.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Brazil

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Scinax muriciensis is only found in a very small region of Fazenda Bananeira, in the Mata da Bananeira, Municipality of Murici, Brazil. they live in tropical rainforest habitat (Cruz et al. 2011).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Scinax muriciensis adults were found 1.0 - 1.5 m above the ground, near the bodies of running water during the day (Cruz et al. 2011).

Tadpoles can be found in forest streams (Cruz et al. 2011).

Females of S. muriciensis are likely ovoviviparous, laying eggs that hatch into tadpoles, similar to S. strigilatus. As these species are found near running water and streams, it is likely that their eggs are laid close to or in the water (Camurugi et al. 2013).

Adult S. muriciensis are found in sympatry with adult Aplastodiscus sibilatus, Chiasmocleis sp., Crossodactylus dantei, Hypsiboas semilineatus, H. freicanecae, and Ischnocnema aff. ramagi (Cruz et al. 2011).

Larval S. muriciensis can be found with larval Agalychnis granulosa, Aplastodiscus sibilatus, Crossodactylus dantei, Hypsiboas freicanecae, and Proceratophrys renalis (Cruz et al. 2011).

Trends and Threats
Scinax muriciensis is an “Endangered” and rare species with a declining population trend due to habitat loss to deforestation for development of sugar cane plantations, farming, and pasture land for cattle in the Mata da Bananeira (Cruz et al. 2011, IUCN 2015). However, as the species is found within the protected area of Estacao Ecologia de Murici, there is also some protection of the species (Cruz et al. 2011).

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

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

Comments

PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS:

ETYMOLOGY:

The genus name, “Scinax”, comes from the Greek word “skinos”, which means “quick or nimble” (Duellman et al. 2016).

The species epithet, “muriciensis” is a reference to the place it was found, the Municipality of Murici in the State of Alagoas of Northeastern Brazil (Cruz et al. 2011).

Scinax muriciensis also has the suggested name of Ololygon muriciensis (Duellman et al. 2016)

OTHER INTERESTING INFORMATION:

Members of the S. catharinae complex are distributed in well preserved environments and S. murciensis is in the northernmost geographic area of this clade (Cruz et al. 2011).

References

Camurugi, F., Merces, E.D.A., Nunes, I., Juna, F.A. (2013). “The tadpole of Scinax strigilatus (Spix, 1824) (Anura: Hylidae).” Zootaxa, 3686(4), 497-499.

Cruz, C.A.G., Nunes, I., De Lima, M.G. (2011). “A new Scinax Wagler belonging to the S. catharinae clade (Anure: Hylidae) from the State of Alagoas, northeastern Brazil.” Zootaxa, 3096, 18-26. [link]

Duellman, W. E., Marion, A. B., Hedges, S. B. (2016). ''Phylogenetics, classification, and biogeography of the treefrogs (Amphibia: Anura: Arboranae).'' Zootaxa , 4104, 1 - 109.

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2015). "Scinax muriciensis." The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T48086163A48086166. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015- 2.RLTS.T48086163A48086166.en. Downloaded in February 2022

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2022 Scinax muriciensis <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/7734> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Apr 18, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 18 Apr 2024.

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