Odontophrynus cordobae Martino & Sinsch 2002

Diagnosis A short-legged and stout typical diploid Odontophrynus frog. (1) Maxillary teeth present; (2) vomerine teeth in two round patches; (3) tympanum not visible; (4) brown nuptial pads and dark vocal sacs in males; (5) dorsum brownish (in life) to greyish (in preserved specimens) with longitudinal yellow stripe and large dark blotches; (6) venter dark cream to grey with few to many pale grey small spots; (7) forelimbs and hindlimbs very short; (8) strong inner metatarsal tubercle; (9) dorsal skin folded, glandular and granular.

Inhabits the north-western part of the Cordoba province, Argentina.

Description of the holotype Male of 41mm snout-vent length. Head is wide and round; snout very short, truncate when seen in lateral profile. Internarinal distance about the same as the interocular distance. Canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region slightly concave. Eye prominent, located anterolaterally, diameter 6.2 mm. Tongue circular, free behind and moderately notched. Maxillary and vomerine teeth well-developed, the latter in two round patches behind the choanae. Typanmum not visible. Foreleg and hindleg very short, the latter reaches the axilla. Fingers free, flat metacarpal tubercles, subarticular tubercles well-developed; palmar surface rough and tuberculate. Finger lengths: II > IV > I > III. Toes fringed, about one-third webbed. Subarticular tubercles prominent and conical, inner metatarsal tubercle prominent and shovel-like, outer one absent. Dorsal skin folded, strongly glandular and warty; eyelid scattered with round glands. Ventral skin granular. Brown nuptial pads, dark vocal sac. Coloration in life: brownish on the dorsum with large symmetrical dark blotches and a mid-dorsal whitish stripe, ventrally creamy-white and unspotted. Larval morphology Body ovoid in dorsal view and gently depressed in lateral view (Fig. 1). Maximum width is at the middle of the body. Maximum height is at the middle of the tail. Tail approximately 1/2 of total length. Tail length 2.6 times tail height. Dorsal fin (DF) is slightly higher than ventral fin (VF) (DF/VF=1.29±0.05). Caudal musculature is robust narrowing gradually until tail tip. Snout is broadly rounded in dorsal and ventral view. In lateral view, the end of the snout is abrupt and rounded. Eyes are small, well separated, directed dorsolaterally, and are visible in dorsal and lateral view. Internal border of the nares slightly elevated. The external nares are about half between the eyes and the tip of the snout; narial openings are elliptical and located dorsally. Internarial distance 1/3 of interocular distance. Spiracle tube is sinistral, simple and short. Spiracular opening is positioned medially and ventrally. Vent tube starts in the midposterior region of the abdomen and it is attached to ventral fin, opening dextrally. The oral disc is subterminal and laterally emarginate. It has a single row of marginal conical papillae surrounding the oral disc. A single large rostral gap is present; mental gap absent. Single or paired submarginal papillae are present in the supra- and infraangular zone, more common in the last. Extramarginal papillae rarely present (supraangular zone). Labial teeth single, with one cusp. The tooth row formula is 2(2)/3(1). Jaw sheaths keratinized and serrated; upper jaw sheath slightly square-shaped; lower jaw sheath arch-shaped with a shallow central V-cut. Color in life: Dorsum of body is light brown with dark and irregular spots on the supraocular region, in the nasal camera and on origin of the tail. Nares margin is whitish. Laterally the coloration lightens toward the middle and ventral zone of the body. Ventral region is whitish. In dorsal view, tail musculature shows a dark central band that crosses the tail until distal portion. Laterally, the tail is light brown with irregular brown spots projecting toward the fins and with a black horizontal line between epi- and hypaxial musculature on the first third of the tail. Color in preservative: The body is brown. Abdominal region is darker than rest of body. Nasal camera dark. Venter is transparent. Tail musculature is pale with grouped chromatophores forming a dense reticulate. Dorsal fin well pigmented with darker border.

LC. Least Concern.

Odontophrynus cordobae (in Spanish: escuercito) is a species of frog in the family Odontophrynidae. It is endemic to northern Argentina and known from Córdoba and Santiago del Estero Provinces. This diploid species was separated from the tetraploid Odontophrynus americanus in 2002. It inhabits montane grasslands and forests and can be found under rocks. Reproduction takes place in permanent mountain streams. The tadpoles require more than a year to reach metamorphosis. It is common in suitable habitats. It tolerates substantial habitat modification but habitat destruction for wood extraction and cattle ranching can threaten it.