| Chacophrys | |
|---|---|
| |
| Chacophrys pierotti | |
| Conservation status | |
 Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Ceratophryidae |
| Genus: | Chacophrys Reig & Limeses, 1963 |
| Species: | C. pierottii |
| Binomial name | |
| Chacophrys pierottii (Vellard, 1948) | |
Chacophrys pierottii, the Chaco horned frog or lesser Chini frog, is a species of frog in the family Ceratophryidae. It is monotypic within the genus Chacophrys. It is found in the Chaco of northern Argentina, eastern Bolivia, and western Paraguay. Its natural habitats are dry shrubland and gallery forest. Outside the breeding season adults remain buried underground but emerge during the first heavy rains to breed in temporary ponds.
It is threatened by habitat loss caused by agriculture and wood extraction. It is also collected for pet trade.
Description
The Chaco horned frog is a small, round frog with short limbs. The snout-vent length ranges from 45.2 - 65.57 mm (1.67 - 2.58 in), and females are typically larger than males . The head comprises almost half of an adult frog's body, with head length ranging from 20 - 24 mm (0.78 - 0.94 in), and head width ranging 19.16 - 29 mm (0.75 - 1.14 in) . The eyes stick out prominently on top . The skin is covered in small, granular bumps, which are more prominent on the head and back. The forelimbs are short, and the fingers lack webbing.
Adults may have green or brown splotching along the head and back, and the underside is generally cream or white . Two dark bands typically run from the eyes down the frog's sides.
Habitat & Distribution
Chacophrys pierottii is found only in the semi-arid and arid regions of the Gran Chaco in Northern Argentina, southern Bolivia, and western Paraguay, at altitudes of 70 - 200 m (229.65 - 656.16 ft) above sea level.
Behavior & Ecology
During the dry season, adult Chaco horned frogs spend their time underground . Adults burrow underground, and construct a cocoon of dead skin to preserve moisture .
Reproduction
Once the rainy season begins, adults emerge and congregate in temporary pools to feed and mate; this activity peaks in January . Males call to attract females, particularly after periods of rain of at least 60 mm (2.3 in) . The mating call is repetitive, consisting of 3 - 12 high-pitched notes in a pulsed structure that begin suddenly, then abruptly descend at the end of the call. These notes last between 499 - 1056 ms and are emitted at a rate ranging from 46.2 - 66.6 notes/min. Pulse duration ranges from 3 - 9 ms and pulse rate ranges from 81.8 - 111.7 pulses/s. The primary frequency ranges from 4109.7 - 5060.1 Hz, and secondary harmonics range from 8953 - 9150 Hz . After breeding, the female lays eggs at the bottom of muddy temporal pools that can be anywhere from 15 - 100 cm deep (5.9 - 39.7 in) and often contains submerged vegetation.
After hatching, larvae reach the final metamorphic stage in about two weeks . Adults can live for up to five years .
Diet
The diet of adult Chaco horned frogs consists mainly of insects, especially beetles, bees, ants, and lepidopterids . They may also consume other anurans opportunistically.
References
- ^ Lucy Aquino, Ignacio De la Riva, Steffen Reichle, Ismael di Tada, Esteban Lavilla (2004). "Chacophrys pierottii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T56343A11465217. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T56343A11465217.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Chacophrys pierottii (Vellard, 1948)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Chacophrys Reig and Limeses, 1963". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ^ Lescano, Julián N. (2011-12-01). "Description of the advertisement and distress call of Chacophrys pierottii and comments on the advertisement call of Lepidobatrachus llanensis (Anura: Ceratophryidae)". Journal of Natural History. 45 (47–48): 47–48. doi:10.1080/00222933.2011.622056. ISSN 0022-2933.
- ^ Marangoni, Frederico; Stănescu, Florina; Courtis, Azul; Piñeiro, José Miguel; del Rosario Ingaramo, María; Cajade, Rodrigo; Cogălniceanu, Dan (2018). "Coping with Aridity: Life History of Chacophrys pierottii, a Fossorial Anuran of Gran Chaco". South American Journal of Herpetology. 13 (3): 230–237. doi:10.2994/SAJH-D-17-00070.1. hdl:11336/81147 – via BioONe.
- ^ Vellard, J. (1948). "Batracios del chaco argentino". Acta Zoologica Lilloana. 5: 137–174.
- ^ Cei, J. M. (1968). "Notes on the Tadpoles and Breeding Ecology of Lepidobatrachus (Amphibia: Ceratophryidae)". Herpetologica. 24 (2): 141–146. ISSN 0018-0831. JSTOR 3891302.
- IUCN (2020-12-02). Chacophrys pierottii: IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T56343A101427950 (Report). International Union for Conservation of Nature. doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t56343a101427950.en.
- ^ Quinzio, Silvia I.; Fabrezi, Marissa; Faivovich, Julian A. (2006). "Redescription of the Tadpole of Chacophrys Pierottii (Vellard, 1948) (Anura, Ceratophryidae)". South American Journal of Herpetology. 1 (3): 202–209. doi:10.2994/1808-9798(2006)1[202:ROTTOC]2.0.CO;2 – via BioOne.
- Faivovich, Julian; Carrizo, Gustavo R. (1992). "Descripción de la larva de Chacophrys pierottii (Vellard, 1948) (Leptodactylidae, Ceratophryinae)". Alytes. 10 (3): 81–89 – via Research Gate.
- Pueta, Mariana; Perotti, Maria Gabriela (2013). "Feeding habits of juvenile Chacophrys pierottii (Ceratophryidae-ceratophryinae) from northwestern Córdoba Province, Argentina". Herpetological Conservation and Biology. 8 (2): 376–384 – via Research Gate.
| Taxon identifiers | |
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| Chacophrys pierottii | |
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