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Marsupial Frogs

Gastrotheca and Allied Genera

William E. Duellman
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The first major synthesis of marsupial frogs, this book is the magnum opus of renowned herpetologist William E. Duellman.

This scientific masterpiece reveals many aspects of the lives of marsupial frogs and closely allied genera. Native to Central and South America, these amphibians differ from other frogs in that they protect their eggs after oviposition by either adhering them to the female’s back or placing them in a specialized dorsal pouch (thus the common name, marsupial frog). During mating, the male typically collects the eggs from the female with his feet—often one at a time and always...

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The first major synthesis of marsupial frogs, this book is the magnum opus of renowned herpetologist William E. Duellman.

This scientific masterpiece reveals many aspects of the lives of marsupial frogs and closely allied genera. Native to Central and South America, these amphibians differ from other frogs in that they protect their eggs after oviposition by either adhering them to the female’s back or placing them in a specialized dorsal pouch (thus the common name, marsupial frog). During mating, the male typically collects the eggs from the female with his feet—often one at a time and always out of water—fertilizes them, and then tucks them into the female’s pouch or attaches them to her back. In some species these eggs hatch as tadpoles, but most emerge as miniatures of the adults. Even among the tadpoles there is remarkable divergence, with some behaving in the typical manner (feeding and metamorphosing), whereas others forego all feeding until they metamorphose.

In Marsupial Frogs, William E. Duellman’s synthesis of all that is known about the unique family Hemiphractidae is largely based on decades of his own careful laboratory and field study. He reveals the diversity of exotic color patterns and the frogs' geographic distributions by providing more than 200 photographs, illustrations, and maps. This exceptional tome should find its way into the libraries of serious herpetologists, tropical biologists, and developmental biologists.

Included in this book are

• A molecular phylogeny of the family Hemiphractidae
• A thorough osteological analysis
• A review of external morphological features
• An overview of the evolution of reproductive modes
• A biogeographic synthesis
• Keys to genera and species
• Diagnosis and thorough description of each species of marsupial frog
• Colored physiographic maps depicting species distributions

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Reviews

This outstanding volume is the result of the longest enduring of Duellman’s research projects; add it to your bookshelf!

— David C. Cannatella, Phyllomedusa

Overall, this is a very detailed, well-written, up-to-date summary of known information on these frogs. It will be indispensable to scientists who are or will be working with marsupial frogs. It will also be valuable to advanced students of herpetology. Highly Recommended.

— Choice

This book does a great job of achieving its goal of summarizing the current knowledge of the family and highlighting where knowledge is currently lacking. The writing style is easy to follow and concise making this book a very compelling read. I very rarely use the following words when writing book reviews, but this book is a must for anyone with an interest in neotropical herpetology or amphibians in general.

— Herpetological Bulletin
About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
7
x
10
Pages
432
ISBN
9781421416755
DOI
Illustration Description
103 color photos, 80 line drawings, 57 maps
Subject
Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
Material and Methods
2. The Place of Hemiphractids in Anuran Phylogeny
Morphological Phylogenetic Analyses
Molecular Phylogenetic Analyses
Literature Cited
3. Phylogeny

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Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
Material and Methods
2. The Place of Hemiphractids in Anuran Phylogeny
Morphological Phylogenetic Analyses
Molecular Phylogenetic Analyses
Literature Cited
3. Phylogeny and Classification
Phylogenetic Relationships
Classification
Vernacular Names
Literature Cited
4. Osteology, by linda trueb
Allies of Marsupial Frogs
Cranial Osteology of Gastrotheca
Characterization of Gastrotheca
Literature Cited
5. External Morphological Features
Adult Frogs
External Characters of Frogs
Tadpoles
Literature Cited
6. Chromosomes, Muscles, and Vocalization
Chromosomes
Throat Musculature
Vocalization
Literature Cited
Reproductive Biology
Mating and Oviposition
The Brood Pouch
Embryonic Development
Embryonic Respiration
Hatching
Larvae
Evolution of Reproduction and Development
Literature Cited
8. Biogeography
History of South America
Evolutionary History of Hemiphractidae
Present Distributions
Habitats of Hemiphractid Frogs
Literature Cited
9. Genera of Hemiphractidae
Family Hemiphractidae
Key to Genera
Cryptobatrachus
Flectonotus
Hemiphractus
Fritziana
Stefania
Gastrotheca
10. Basal subgenera of Gastrotheca
Subgenus Eotheca
Key to Species
Gastrotheca (Eotheca) fissipes
Gastrotheca (Eotheca) flamma
Gastrotheca (Eotheca) megacephala
Gastrotheca (Eotheca) prasina
Gastrotheca (Eotheca) pulchra
Gastrotheca (Eotheca) recava
Subgenus Cryptotheca
Key to Species
Gastrotheca (Cryptotheca) walkeri
Gastrotheca (Cryptotheca) williamsoni
Subgenus Amphignathodon
Key to Species
Gastrotheca (Amphignathodon) andaquiensis
Gastrotheca (Amphignathodon) angustifrons
Gastrotheca (Amphignathodon) antomia
Gastrotheca (Amphignathodon) bufona
Gastrotheca (Amphignathodon) cornuta
Gastrotheca (Amphignathodon) dendronastes
Gastrotheca (Amphignathodon) guentheri
Gastrotheca (Amphignathodon) helenae
Gastrotheca (Amphignathodon) longipes
Gastrotheca (Amphignathodon) weinlandii
Subgenus Australotheca
Key to Species
Gastrotheca (Australotheca) albolineata
Gastrotheca (Australotheca) ernestoi
Gastrotheca (Australotheca) fulvorufa
Gastrotheca (Australotheca) microdiscus
Subgenus Opisthodelphys
Gastrotheca (Opisthodelphys) ovifera
Subgenus Edaphotheca
Gastrotheca (Edaphotheca) galeata
Literature Cited
11. Andean Species of Subgenus Duellmania
Subgenus Duellmania
Key to Species
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) argenteovirens
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) aureomaculata
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) dunni
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) dysprosita
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) espeletia
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) litonedis
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) lojana
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) monticola
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) nicefori
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) orophylax
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) plumbea
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) riobambae
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) ruizi
Gastrotheca (Duellmania) trachyceps
Literature Cited
12. Andean Species of Subgenus Gastrotheca
Subgenus Gastrotheca
Key to Species
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) abdita
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) aguaruna
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) antoniiochoai
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) aratia
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) atympana
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) caeruleomaculata
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) carinaceps
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) christiani
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) chrysosticta
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) excubitor
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) gracilis
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) griswoldi
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) lateonota
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) marsupiata
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) nebulanastes
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) ochoai
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) ossilaginis
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) pacchamama
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) pachachacae
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) peruana
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) phalarosa
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) phelloderma
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) piperata
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) pseustes
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) psychrophila
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) rebeccae
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) splendens
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) stictopleura
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) testudinea
Gastrotheca (Gastrotheca) zeugocystis
Literature Cited
13. In Retrospect
Literature Cited
Index

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Author Bio
Featured Contributor

William E. Duellman, Ph.D.

William E. Duellman is curator emeritus of herpetology at the Biodiversity Institute and professor emeritus of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas. He is the coauthor of Biology of Amphibians and the editor of Patterns of Distribution of Amphibians: A Global Perspective.
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