Synapturanus zombie is a South American species of frog in the family Microhylidae.[1]
| Synapturanus zombie | |
|---|---|
_Figure_9_(cropped).png)
| |
| Amapá, Brazil | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Microhylidae |
| Genus: | Synapturanus |
| Species: | S. zombie
|
| Binomial name | |
| Synapturanus zombie | |
Taxonomy
editSynapturanus zombie was discovered by Raffael Ernst, a German herpetologist. He named the frog "zombie" because he thought other researchers looked like zombies after digging the frogs out of the ground.[2] It was described in 2021 by Antoine Fouquet.[3]
S. zombie is part of an eastern clade of Synapturanus, which also includes S. salseri, S. mirandaribeiroi, S. ajuricaba, and S. mesomorphus, as well as some undescribed but suspected species.[3] This eastern clade typically has a more robust humerus and a broader snout than species in the western clade.[4]
Description
editSynapturanus zombie has an average snout-vent length of 39 mm in males (range 37–41 mm (1.5–1.6 in)). Females are slightly larger, with a 40 mm average SVL (range 39–42 mm (1.5–1.7 in)). This makes it the largest known species of Synapturanus frogs.[3] It has a pointed nose and a narrow mouth.[2]
The frog is medium brown on the top, and light brown on the bottom. Many orange spots are found on the skin of the frog. The glandular supracarpal pad, present in males only, is a translucent white. Yellow ovaries are able to be seen through the translucent skin of female specimens.[3] Males emit advertisement calls from underground tunnels during and after heavy rainfall. These tunnels, also called galleries, are spaced a few meters apart from each other. The mode of reproduction of the species are unknown, but likely similar to those of other Synapturanus frogs.[3]
Habitat
editSynapturanus zombie live in well-drained soil in forests in French Guiana. They are nocturnal, as well as fossorial.[2][3]
Conservation
editS. zombie has not been assessed by the IUCN.[5] It is only known to live in six groups of populations in French Guiana, and one additional group in Amapá, northern Brazil. Some of these groups are in protected areas. The study in which the species was first described recommended the species be given the rating of "data deficient", because of "the uncertainties regarding its distribution and population status".[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Frost, Darrel R. (2024). "Synapturanus zombie Fouquet, Leblanc, Fabre, Rodrigues, Menin, Courtois, Dewynter, Hölting, Ernst, Peloso, and Kok, 2021". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.2. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ a b c Kindy, David. "How the Newly Discovered, Mud-Loving 'Zombie' Frog Got Its Name". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g Fouquet, Antoine; Leblanc, Killian; Fabre, Anne-Claire; Rodrigues, Miguel T.; Menin, Marcelo; Courtois, Elodie A.; Dewynter, Maël; Hölting, Monique; Ernst, Raffael; Peloso, Pedro; Kok, Philippe J.R. (July 2021). "Comparative osteology of the fossorial frogs of the genus Synapturanus (Anura, Microhylidae) with the description of three new species from the Eastern Guiana Shield" (PDF). Zoologischer Anzeiger. 293: 46–73. doi:10.1016/j.jcz.2021.05.003. S2CID 236599893.
- ^ Fouquet, Antoine; Leblanc, Killian; Framit, Marlene; Réjaud, Alexandre; Rodrigues, Miguel T; et al. (25 January 2021). "Species diversity and biogeography of an ancient frog clade from the Guiana Shield (Anura: Microhylidae: Adelastes, Otophryne, Synapturanus) exhibiting spectacular phenotypic diversification". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 132 (2): 233–256. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blaa204. hdl:10261/283155.
- ^ "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". Retrieved 24 January 2024.