Leptodactylus sabanensis Heyer 1994

Leptodactylus sabanensis

HOLOTYPE.—KU 166559, an adult male from Venezuela; Bolívar; km 127, El Dorado–Santa Elena de Uairen road, 1250 m, ∼6°00′N, 61°30′W. Collected by William E. Duellman. Linda Trueb, and Dana K. Duellman, 24 Jul 1974.

PARATOPOTYPES.—KU 166545–166547, collected by William E. Duellman, John E. Simmons, and Juan R. León, 16 Jul 1974; KU 166553–166558, 166560, 166561, collected by William E. Duellman, Linda Trueb, and Dana K. Duellman, 24 Jul 1974; KU 181031, collected by Stefan Gorzula, 27 Jan 1979.

DIAGNOSIS.—Leptodactylus sabanensis currently is known only from the Gran Sabana of Venezuela and has yet to be taken in sympatry with other Leptodactylus species with toe fringes. The other Leptodactylus with toe fringes (excluding L. ocellatus and its closest relatives) that occur next to the Gran Sabana are L. bolivianus, diedrus, leptodactyloides, pallidirostris, petersii, and riveroi. Leptodactylus sabanensis is smaller than bolivianus and riveroi (sabanensis females 42–57 mm SVL, males 35–46 mm SVL; bolivianus females to 88 mm SVL, males to 94 mm SVL; riveroi females to 81 mm SVL, males to 63 mm SVL); most sabanensis do not have long dorsolateral folds, and, among those that do the folds are not well developed and smooth, whereas all bolivianus and riveroi have a pair of long, smooth, well-developed dorsolateral folds. The ventral and posterior thigh patterns merge in L. sabanensis; in diedrus the patterns abut. Fewer L. sabanensis have indications of light posterior lip stripes than in leptodactyloides. Leptodactylus sabanensis differs more from leptodactyloides in advertisement calls than in morphological features. In L. sabanensis, call duration is 0.04–0.06 s with a dominant frequency range of 900–2300 Hz with maximum energy between 1400–1800 Hz; in leptodactyloides, call duration is 0.01–0.04 s with a dominant frequency range of 650–1600 Hz with maximum energy between 1100–1300 Hz. Leptodactylus sabanensis is larger than pallidirostris (pallidirostris females 30–43 mm SVL, males 28–37 mm SVL). The most common lip stripe condition in L. sabanensis is indiscernible, but when the lip stripes are discernible, they extend from the posterior corner of the eye; the commonest lip stripe condition in pallidirostris is distinct stripes that often extend from under the middle of the eye. The broadcast frequency range of the advertisement call of L. pallidirostris is 1500–3500 Hz with maximum energy at 2500–3500 Hz (see comparison with leptodactyloides above for sabanensis call data). Leptodactylus sabanensis is larger than petersii (petersii females 31–51 mm SVL, males 27–41 mm SVL). Few L. sabanensis (15%) have light chin/throat spots; most petersii (56%) do. Leptodactylus sabanensis do not have anastomotic or speckled belly patterns, which are characteristically found in petersii.

DESCRIPTION OF HOLOTYPE.—Snout rounded from above, rounded in profile; canthus rostralis rounded; lores weakly obtusely concave in cross section; tympanum large, diameter about eye diameter; vocal slits well developed, lying from under posterior portion of tongue to angle of jaw; vocal sac single, essentially internal, but very slightly expanded externally; vomerine teeth in two moderate, almost straight series, separated by distance about length of a single vomerine tooth row, lying posterior to and mostly between choanae; finger lengths II≈IV
SVL 45.1 mm, head length 17.8 mm, head width 16.0 mm, tympanum diameter 3.9 mm, thigh length 21.6 mm, shank length 22.2 mm, foot length 25.7 mm.

Dorsum mostly uniform brown with a light interorbital stripe interruptedly bordered posteriorly by a darker brown stripe, dorsolateral folds interruptedly outlined with darker brown; flanks with small, indistinct dark brown spots/blotches; upper limbs weakly to noticeably cross-banded with dark brown; upper lip rather uniform brown; chin and throat extensively mottled brown; chest and belly heavily speckled brown, more extensively anteriorly; posterior surface of thigh boldly mottled dark brown and tan, row of tan spots in area where light stripe found in other individuals.

HABITAT AND COLOR

Leptodactylus sabanensis is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae.

It is also referred to by the common name Gran Sabana Thin-Toed Frog

It is found in Venezuela, possibly Brazil, and possibly Guyana. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marshes. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.