Lowland Coastal Snouted Treefrog

Diagnosis Broad-based, triangular head with cuspidate snout, projecting above the ogival outline of the mouth; the smooth skin, with metallic sheen; in life, the copper-colored iris and long, green bones of most specimens. Interorbital diameter almost twice distance between nostrils; tympanum distinct; toes 3/4 webbed; a small outer metatarsal tubercle present; size small, up to 27.

Known from coastal eastern and southeastern Brazil in the States of Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro,Sao Paulo and Paraná.

Adult morphology Size rather small (snout-vent length 24-25 mm). Adults rarely more than 22-20 mm snout to vent. Build robust. Body rather flat, postaxillary region almost as wide as the head, somewhat narrowed toward the groin. Hindlimb stout; tibiotarsal articulation reaching a point between the eye and the nostril when the leg is adpressed. Tibia generally 2-3 mm longer than the femur. Head wide at the base, triangular: Snout pointed in front, projecting greatly over the mouth, sharply declivous beyond the nostrils, ending in a point. Nostrils superolateral, one half nearer the tip of the snout than the eye. Cantlnus rostralis not marked; loreal region sloping, slightly concave:, Interorbital space very wide, more than 1.3 times the internarinal space, no quite double the width of the upper eyelid. Eye prominent, as, long or slightly longer than the distance from its anterior corner to the nostril. Tympanum very small, approximately two-fifths the horizontal diameter of the eye, very distinct. Tongue wide, rounded , entire or slightly emarginate, slightly free behind. Vomerine teeth in two short, robust, slightly separated patches between the choanae. Fingers webbed at the base. A callosity below the first finger, a plane, bilobate, palmar tubercle under the third and fourth; palms padded. Disks ronlltl :rlrtl sliort, but wide and thick. Toes very extensively webbed, the web reaching the disk or slightly below it on the inner side of the second, third, and fifth toes. The web is reduced to a fringe on the last articulation below the disk on the outer side of the first, second, third, and on both sides of the fourth toe. An elongate inner and a small outer metatarsal tubercle. Skin of dorsal surface quite smooth and shiny. A moderate glandular ridge above the tympanum; a fold of skin across the chest. Belly and midventral portion of the thigh granular. Male with a citrine vocal sac, indicated in most preserved specimens only by a few longitudinal folds. Females not necessarily larger; better differentiated when distended by masses of eggs. Color in life: Olivaceous, inclined to a dull dark greenish tone; skin smooth and rather shiny. Permanently visible aspects of limbs more yellowish in tone; sides of body and gula of male olive yellow. Iris copper or coooper bronze; the reddish color very striking, even at a distance, when light falls on it; pupil transversely elliptic, lower half deeper than the upper. Dorsal surface of limbs concealed in repose brownish gray with a somewhat purplish tinge. Ventral aspect of limbs gray, including the disks and webs; the hands and feet slightly darkcr; belly lighter or whitish, with a faint pinkish or violaceous tinge in some light. Preserved specimens are olivaceous or brownish, sometimes pale. Larval morphology Mean total length at stage 36�37 (Gosner, 1960), 32.7 ± 2.4 mm. Body ovoid in dorsal view, approximately triangular in lateral view, with maximum height located about three-fourths body length. Body length 32% of total length. Snout rounded in dorsal view. External nares small, rounded, located dorsally, and visible in lateral view, nearly as close to snout as to eyes. Internarial distance 77% of interorbital distance. Eyes lateral, their diameter about 29% of body height, interorbital distance 65% of body width and about 2 times eye diameter. Spiracle sinistral, short, slightly protuberant, located slightly beyond half of body, opening directed posteriorly. Vent tube short, dextral, and attached to ventral fin. Tail slightly higher than body, gradually tapering to slender and rounded tip; point of maximum height of tail located about one-third tail length. Ventral tail fin slightly deeper than dorsal fin; dorsal fin arched, gradually ascending from posterior third of body. Oral disc anteroventral, about 39% of body width, with single row of marginal papillae interrupted medially at upper and lower labia, and with a variable number of lateral submarginal papillae. Labial tooth row formula 2(2)/3(1). Medial part of posterior labium forms a labial arm located in a gap in marginal papillae. Third posterior tooth row at the tip of extended labial arm, its length about 47% of length of second posterior tooth row. Jaw sheaths strong and finely serrated, lower jaw sheath with pair of spiniform, keratinized lateral process located at ends of arch. Color in life: general color greenish-brown to yellowish-brown covered with dark brown and golden spots, usually with slight crescentshaped mark behind nares. Body in lateral view with incomplete dark brown stripe extending from snout to eyes. Eyes red in lateral view, coppery-brown in dorsal view. Venter iridescent copper; intestinal coils visible in lateral view. Tail with irregular brown markings; tail fins translucent Color in 5% formalin: body and tail musculature cream, covered with dark brown spots and small irregular markings. Dark brown lateral stripe extending from snout to eyes; slight crescent-shaped marks behind nares usually preserved. Spiracle transparent. Venter translucent with intestinal coils visible in lateral and ventral views. Tail with irregular brown markings.

LC. Least Concern.

Scinax cuspidatus is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, rocky areas, heavily degraded former forest, and ponds. It is threatened by habitat loss.