Leptodactylus podicipinus (Cope 1862)

Diagnosis A medium size frog (females 30-54 mm SVL, males 24-43 mm snout vent length) with dorsolateral folds rarely long and never well developed; yellowish glandular patches on sides and groin; have small, distinct, light belly spots; ventral and posterior thigh patterns merge; posterior thighs are mottled with no indication of light stripes and have either narrow or just-swollen toe tips. Brownish above, belly dark gray scattered with white spots.

In open formations of Paraguay, adjacent Argentina, Bolivia, north of Uruguay, central Brazil, and extending along the Rio Madiera and Rio Amazonas within the Amazon basin, with a problematical outliner from Igarapé Belém, Amazonas, Brasil; with a known altitudinal range up to 550 m.

Adult morphology A medium size frog, males smaller than females. Head ogival, slightly larger than wide. Snout rounded, the upper jaw slightly projecting beyond the lower. Somewhat protruding nose; nostrils superolateral, very close to the tip of snout. Internarinal interval equal to the interocular distance, which is subequal to the width of upper eyelid. Canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region slightly concave, ineeting with a very obtuse angle the upper lip. Eyes prominent, laterally located. Maxillar teeth developed; vomerine teeth in two heavy patches between and behind the choanae. Tongue cordifom, notched posteriorly. Tympanum round, distinct, more than 2/3 of the eye diameter. A moderate tympanic fold, reaching the axilla. Fingers free bur distinctly fringed. Rate of the finger lengths: IV-II-I-III. Metacarpal and subarticular tubercles moderate: a crescentic pad at the base of thumb. Two acuminate black horny spines on the first finger of males. Toes webbed at the base and widely fringed. Metatarsal tubercles moderate and blunt; conical subarticular tubercles of toes prominent. Tarsal fold large and distinct. Skin pustular and warty, mostly on the back and hindlegs; yellowish ventro-lateral glandular patches and larger glands on the posterior region of the femur. Belly smooth; lower posterior surface of thighs coarsely granular. A male vocal sac present. Dorsally dark brown, with dilute spots: a triangular, light-edged dark interocular spot. Ventrally dark olive-brown, closelv scettared with round uncolored dots, also evident on the sides. Larval morphology The body is oval and slender wider in the region of the spiracle. The tail length is twice the length of the body, its high transparent fins ending in the acuminate tip. The anal tube is opening medially. The nostrils are located at about the same distance between eye and tip of snout, round and sloping. Dorsally is dark brown, with metallic blendings; ventrally light, Rows of the lateral line system are remarkably evident. The mouth, encircled by close papillae. The tooth rows formula is usually 2(1)/3.

LC. Least Concern.