Arthroleptidae (see family information on Tree of Life site)
Squeakers, Long-fingered Frogs, Night Frogs, Egg Frogs, Hairy Frogs, Gabonese Forest Frogs, African “Big-eyed” Treefrogs
These eight African genera were once considered part of the large Ranidae family, but have been shown recently to be sister to the Hyperoliidae (African Reed Frogs, Treefrogs, and Running Frogs). None of the Arthroleptidae are found on oceanic islands, with the single exception of Leptopelis palmatus which occurs on the island of Principe. Both the Arthroleptidae and Hyperoliidae are part of a larger radiation that is restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, which also includes the Hemisotidae and Brevicipitidae (the latter formerly included as a subfamily of the Microhylidae). Within the Arthroleptidae, subfamily taxonomy is still not fully resolved. Arthroleptids include frogs with a diverse range of morphology, ecology, body sizes, and life history. All of these genera can be found in forests, but Leptopelis and Arthroleptis can also be found in woodlands and moist grasslands. Members of some other genera are sometimes found in moist high-altitude grasslands. All genera have tadpoles, except Arthroleptis and possibly a few Leptopelis species which have direct development. Tadpoles inhabit streams but some Leptopelis can be found in small pools. Adults and tadpoles of Astylosternus, Trichobatrachus, and Leptodactylodon are eaten by local people. The Hairy Frog (Trichobatrachus robustus) is the most famous of the arthroleptid species, due to breeding males possessing highly vascularized and hair-like dermal extensions. These are believed to aid in cutaneous respiration.
Cardioglossa gracilis
Photo by David Blackburn
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Genus Arthroleptis (37 species)
Arthroleptis adelphus no species account photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis adolfifriederici no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis affinis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis bivittatus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis brevipes no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis carquejai no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis crusculum no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis discodactyla no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis francei no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis hematogaster no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis krokosua no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis lameerei no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis loveridgei no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis milletihorsini no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis mossoensis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis nikeae no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis nimbaensis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis phrynoides no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis poecilonotus species account photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis pyrrhoscelis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis reichei no species account photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis schubotzi no species account photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis spinalis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis stenodactylus species account photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis stridens no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis sylvatica no species account photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis taeniatus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis tanneri no species account photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis troglodytes no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis tuberosus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis variabilis no species account photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis vercammeni no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis wahlbergii no species account photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis xenochirus no species account photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis xenodactyla no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis xenodactyloides no species account photos no range maps no sounds Arthroleptis zimmeri no species account no photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Astylosternus (11 species)
Astylosternus batesi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Astylosternus diadematus no species account photos no range maps no sounds Astylosternus fallax no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Astylosternus laurenti no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Astylosternus montanus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Astylosternus nganhanus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Astylosternus occidentalis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Astylosternus perreti no species account photos no range maps no sounds Astylosternus ranoides no species account photos no range maps no sounds Astylosternus rheophilus no species account photos no range maps no sounds Astylosternus schioetzi no species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Cardioglossa (15 species)
Cardioglossa alsco no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa aureoli no species account photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa cyaneospila no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa elegans no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa escalerae no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa gracilis no species account photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa gratiosa no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa leucomystax no species account photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa melanogaster no species account photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa nigromaculata no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa oreas no species account photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa pulchra no species account photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa schioetzi no species account photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa trifasciata no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Cardioglossa venusta no species account no photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Leptodactylodon (15 species)
Leptodactylodon albiventris no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon axillaris no species account photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon bicolor no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon blanci no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon boulengeri no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon bueanus no species account photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon erythrogaster no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon mertensi no species account photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon ornatus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon ovatus no species account photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon perreti no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon polyacanthus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon stevarti no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon ventrimarmoratus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Leptodactylodon wildi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Leptopelis (52 species)
Genus Nyctibates (1 species)
Nyctibates corrugatus no species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Scotobleps (1 species)
Scotobleps gabonicus no species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Trichobatrachus (1 species)
Trichobatrachus robustus species account photos no range maps no sounds
Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2008. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: 2008).
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