Craugastor pygmaeus, also known as the pigmy free-fingered frog or the pigmy robber frog, is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is found in western Guatemala and southern Mexico from southern Sinaloa to Chiapas.[1][2]

Craugastor pygmaeus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Craugastoridae
Genus: Craugastor
Species:
C. pygmaeus
Binomial name
Craugastor pygmaeus
(Taylor, 1937)
Synonyms[2]
  • Eleutherodactylus pygmaeus Taylor, 1937 "1936"
  • Microbatrachylus albolabris Taylor, 1940 "1939"
  • Microbatrachylus pygmaeus (Taylor, 1937)
  • Microbatrachylus minimus Taylor, 1940 "1939"
  • Microbatrachylus imitator Taylor, 1942

Craugastor pygmaeus shows strong color polymorphism.[3] Several species have been described and later synonymized with this species,[2][3] but it is in need of taxonomic revision and probably represents a complex of at least five species.[1]

Habitat and conservation

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Craugastor pygmaeus occurs in a great variety of habitats, from lowland forests to montane pine and pine-oak forests and cloud forests at elevations of 400–2,000 m (1,300–6,600 ft) above sea level. It can tolerate some habitat modification as long as shade remains, such as coffee plantations. Development is direct[1] (i.e., there is no free-living larval stage[4]).

Craugastor pygmaeus can be locally common. It can be threatened by habitat and climate change (changing precipitation patterns) leading to the disappearance of shade, humidity and leaf-litter microhabitats. Chytridiomycosis is a potential threat. It occurs in some protected areas.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2020). "Craugastor pygmaeus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T56891A53966749. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T56891A53966749.en. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Frost, Darrel R. (2021). "Craugastor pygmaeus (Taylor, 1937)". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b Duellman, W E (1961). "The amphibians and reptiles of Michoacán, México". University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History. 15: 1–148. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.7287.
  4. ^ Vitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 166.