The tadpoles of the hylid frogs (Anura: Hylidae: Hypsiboas and Osteopilus) of Hispaniola

Abstract

Hispaniolan hylid frogs are represented by four endemic species: Hypsiboas heilprini, Osteopilus dominicensis, O. pulchrilineatus and O. vastus. There are two tadpole ecomorphs represented in the hylid frogs of Hispaniola: lentic (O. dominicensis and O. pulchrilineatus) and lotic (H. heilprini and O. vastus). Tadpoles of the four species may be found sympatrically, but in different microhabitats. Hispaniolan hylid tadpoles reach a moderate size (up to 57 mm in total length is recorded in H. heilprini), and differ from those of Peltophryne, Rhinella, Leptodactylus and Lithobates (the other genera with free-living larvae present on the island), by having the oral discs not emarginated and, from the first three taxa, by a dextral vent opening. Oral deformities observed in most tadpoles of H. heilprini from Ébano Verde, Cordillera Central, were caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. An identification key is also provided.

Keywords

• West Indies
• Caribbean
• amphibians
• tree frogs
• larvae
• ecomorphs
• guilds
• deformities
• chytrid fungus