New frogs from Misiones and Uruguay

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THE LIBRARY OF THE

1 MAR 3 1 1944

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

ZOOLOGICAL SERIES

OF

FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Volume 29 CHICAGO, MARCH 15, 1944 No. 9

NEW FROGS FROM MISIONES AND URUGUAY

BY KARL P. SCHMIDT

CHIEF CURATOR, DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY

After working in Brazil with the Marshall Field Expedition of
1926, Mr. Colin C. Sanborn and I collected in Misiones Territory
for two weeks before going on to Uruguay. In Misiones we were
aided by Mr. Carlos H. Benson of Caraguatay, and spent the period
from September 16 to September 22 encamped on the Rio Paranay,
a small, swift-flowing affluent of the Parana. The locality was rich
in zoological interest. It is evident that the Territory will repay
much more intensive zoological exploration. In Uruguay we were
in the field together from October 18 to 23, after which Mr. Sanborn
continued alone until December, when he was called away by other
work. An account of our collecting stations in Uruguay is given by
Mr. Sanborn (1929).

In the course of other studies at the British Museum (Natural
History) in 1932, made possible by my tenure of a John Simon
Guggenheim Memorial fellowship, I took the opportunity to com-
pare several species of frogs, which I had been unable to identify,
with Rio Grande do Sul and other Brazilian material, and reached
the conclusion that our collection included a new Limnomedusa and
three new species of Hyla. I am indebted to Mr. H. W. Parker, of
the British Museum, for friendly aid with these studies.

The drawings are the work of John J. Janecek, Staff Illustrator
of Field Museum.

Limnomedusa misionis sp. nov.

Type from Rio Paranay, Misiones Territory, Argentina. No.
9407 Field Museum of Natural History. Adult male. Collected
September 16, 1926, by Karl P. Schmidt and Colin C. Sanborn.

No. 554 153

it OF IU- UB.

154 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY— ZOOLOGY, VOL. 29

Diagnosis. — Very closely allied to Limnomedusa macroglossa of
southeastern Brazil and Uruguay, from which it is distinguished by
smaller size, smaller glandular warts, and smaller inner and outer
metatarsal tubercles; the nuptial pads are less strongly developed
and the enlargement of the forearm of the breeding males, which
is well marked in macroglossa, is scarcely distinguishable.

Description of type. — Body stocky, with long limbs; head as wide
as the body, snout blunt, nostril a little closer to its tip than to
the eye; heels strongly overlapping when placed at right angles to the
body; tibiotarsal articulation extending beyond the end of the snout;
can thus distinct, loreal region slightly concave; tympanum very
distinct, two- thirds the diameter of the eye; fingers and toes slender,
without disks; first finger longer than second; inner metatarsal
tubercle small, outer minute; dorsal skin with rounded glandular
warts extending on the sides; smooth beneath; a granular area on
the outer face of the thighs; vomerine teeth in conspicuous straight
groups, distinctly separated, in line with the choanae; tongue flat,
round, very slightly emarginate behind.

Gray above, with a bold pattern of darker brown spots; a con-
spicuous pair of canthal stripes extending forward on the snout;
labial border spotted; a large spot between the eyes and an inverted
V above the shoulders; limbs strongly barred.

A large black nuptial pad on the base of the thumb, with an
isolated one on the lateral face of the inner metacarpal tubercle; a
similar pad on the inner face of the second finger.

Measurements. — Length from snout to anus 45; snout to posterior
border of tympanum 17.5; width of head 19; arm 31; leg 85; tibia 30.

Notes on paratypes. — Twenty-eight specimens, . Nos. 9401-6,
9408-21, 9429, 9458-61, and 10867-69, in addition to the type, were
collected at the same locality, from September 16 to 21. These form
an extremely uniform series, tending to be somewhat smoother and
with even smaller dorsal warts than the type. There are nineteen
males and nine females. A typical female measures 49 mm.
from snout to anus; snout to posterior border of tympanum 18;
width of head 20; arm 32; leg 98; tibia 33. Of these paratypes, Nos.
9429 and 9459 are now Museum of Comparative Zoology Nos.
17429-30.

Remarks. — Without an ample series of specimens of this form it
would be impossible to distinguish it from the larger Limnomedusa
macroglossa of Rio Grande do Sul. Mr. Sanborn collected a series

/V $ 7 . /-/ >S 7 • * ' '3 .

1944 FROGS OF MISIONES AND URUGUAY— SCHMIDT 155

of the latter species at various stations in Uruguay, and direct
comparison leaves no doubt that two species are recognizable.

Hyla sanborni sp. nov.

Type from Hacienda Alvarez, 15 km. northeast of San Carlos,
Uruguay. No. 9581 Field Museum of Natural History. Adult
male. Collected October 21, 1926, by Karl P. Schmidt.

Diagnosis. — Allied to Hyla parvula Boulenger of eastern Brazil,
with which it agrees in the absence of vomerine teeth, small tympa-

FIG. 20. Hyla sanborni, paratype, F.M.N.H. No. 9569. X 2.

num, and rounded canthus. It differs from H. parvula in having
much shorter legs, and no white spots on the back, and from H. ura-
noscopa Miiller in smaller size and shorter limbs.

Description of type. — A minute Hyla of compact body form; head
short and blunt, canthus rostralis rounded, snout projecting, nostrils
very close to the tip of the snout as viewed from the side; skin
smooth above, very coarsely granulate beneath ; disks of fingers and
toes distinct, but little broader than the distal phalanx; fingers with
a trace of web at base, first a little shorter than second; toes three-
fourths webbed; a small inner and no outer metatarsal tubercle; a
strong fold across the chest extends to the base of the arm and forms
the posterior border of the very large median subgular vocal sac;
no modification of the thumb; tympanum small, about one-third
the diameter of the eye.

156 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY— ZOOLOGY, VOL. 29

Brown above, paler on the sides, with a fine punctulation of
black dots; belly yellow; limbs alj&o punctate with black under the
lens.

Measurements. — Length 16.5; head width 5.5; arm 9; leg 25;
tibia 8.

Notes on paratypes. — The females are somewhat different in body
form, the abdomen swollen with eggs and a little larger. No. 9572
measures 20 mm. from snout to anus; head width 5.5; arm 10; leg 29;
tibia 10. In the large series available, the dorsal coloration fre-
quently tends to obscure longitudinal striation like the pattern of
Hyla nana. The paratypes taken by myself at the type locality are
Nos. 9568-79, 9581-84, and 9587-89. Mr. Sanborn subsequently
collected this form 15 km. north of San Vicente de Castillos, Depart-
ment of Rocha, Nos. 10341 and 10345-49; at Paso de Averias, Rio
Cebollati, Department of Minas, Nos. 10363-69, 10371-76, 10379-
80; at a camp 8 km. east of Treinta y Tres, Department of Treinta
y Tres, Nos. 10448, 10450-51, 10453, 10455-62, and 10466.

Remarks. — I follow Noble and other authors in dropping the
genus Hylella, although it may be revived for the species of eastern
South America when an adequate revision of the genera of the
Hylidae is undertaken. The species is named for Colin Campbell
Sanborn, my companion on various South American travels, whose
active collecting of amphibians and reptiles has greatly enriched
Field Museum's collections.

Hyla evelynae sp. nov.

Type from Hacienda Alvarez, 15 km. northeast of San Carlos,
Uruguay. No. 9561 Field Museum of Natural History. Adult
male. Collected October 26, 1926, by Karl P. Schmidt.

Diagnosis. — A slender-bodied and long-snouted hyla allied to
Hyla linderi Miiller and Hellmich, characterized by sharply defined
dorso-lateral light lines from eyelid to groin, granulate belly, smooth
upper surfaces, fingers free, and toes webbed at base; no rudiment
of prepollex. Distinguished from linderi by larger size, smaller and
less distinct tympanum, and absence of markings on the snout.

Description of type. — Habitus slender, body parallel-sided, head
not wider than body; head pointed, snout long, the nostril much
closer to the tip of the snout than to the eye; length of head greater
than its width; limbs slender but relatively short; heels strongly
overlapping when the legs are placed at right angles to the body,
heel reaching just beyond eye when the leg is drawn forward along

1944

FROGS OF MISIONES AND URUGUAY— SCHMIDT

157

the sides; tympanum small, two-fifths the diameter of the eye; inter-
orbital space more than twice as wide as the upper eyelid, snout
strongly projecting.

Vomerine teeth in small round groups (the teeth actually in a
transverse row) their anterior border in line with the middle of the
choanae; tongue very large, slightly nicked behind, its surface pustu-

FIG. 21. Hyla evelynae, type, F.M.N.H. No. 9561. X 2.

lar; skin of back smooth, belly and posterior surface of thighs
coarsely granular; outer metatarsal tubercle indistinct, smaller than
the inner; fingers and toes with well-developed disks, those of the
fingers slightly larger; fingers not at all webbed; toes with webs to
the base of the second phalanx; vocal sac large, with longitudinal
folds, smooth.

General color of upper surfaces light brown; a nearly white
stripe extending from the posterior border of the upper eyelid to the
groin, outlined above and below by a darker brownish stripe of about
the same width; a narrow dark vertebral line; under surfaces light,
without markings; no markings or flesh color on concealed surfaces
of limbs; no dark line on thigh or tibia.

158 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY— ZOOLOGY, VOL. 29

Measurements. — Snout to vent 24 mm. ; snout to posterior border
of tympanum 9; width of head ^7.5; tympanum 1; eye 2.5; leg 37;
tibia 13; arm 13.

Notes on paratypes. — Ten paratypes, eight adult males (Nos.
9562-64, 9566-67, and 9585-87) from the type locality and two
(Nos. 10572-73) from Quebrada de los Cuevas, Department of
Treinta y Tres. The latter are juvenile specimens just transformed,
with slight remnants of tail. They measure 14.5 mm. The adult
specimens agree closely with the type.

Remarks. — There is little doubt that Hyla evelynae represents
the H. linderi, of the Chaco, in Uruguay; I have not used the tri-
nomial since so much remains to be learned regarding the ranges of
Brazilian hylas. It is quite possible that the present species is equally
allied to Hyla albofrenata from Rio de Janeiro, still known only from
the preliminary description. The Uruguayan form is named for
Mrs. Diego Suarez, who, as Evelyn Marshall Field, was patroness
of the Brazilian Expedition of 1926 and our companion of many
memorable camps in Matto Grosso.

Hyla uruguaya sp. nov.

Type from Quebrada de los Cuervos, Department of Treinta y
Tres, Uruguay (45 km. north of the town of Treinta y Tres). No.
10567 Field Museum of Natural History. Adult male. Collected
December 8, 1926, by Colin C. Sanborn.

Diagnosis. — A small, blunt-nosed hyla with granular skin on both
back and belly; back and tibiae with irregular dark spots; toes with
short webs and a dermal fringe; tongue small; no rudiment of pre-
pollex; apparently not closely allied to any of the south Brazilian
hylas.

Description of type. — Habitus stocky, the trunk with rounded
sides, head broader than long, and snout little projecting; tympanum
small, distinct less than half the diameter of the eye, its distance from
the eye less than its diameter; interorbital space wider than the upper
eyelid; heels just meeting when the legs are placed at right angles to
the body, the heel reaching the eye when the leg is drawn forward
along the side.

Vomerine teeth in very small rounded groups between the
choanae; tongue very small, its posterior border rounded; fingers
entirely free; toes webbed to base of second phalanx; a distinct,
round, inner metatarsal tubercle, outer metatarsal tubercle barely

1944 FROGS OF MISIONES AND URUGUAY— SCHMIDT 159

distinguishable; disks of fingers and toes smaller than the tympanum;
toes beyond the web with a dermal fringe to their disks; vocal sac
very large, irregularly folded, but with a strong transverse fold from
side to side at the rear.

Pale brown above and below, the back and sides and the upper
surface of the tibia with irregular darker brown spots; a distinct

FIG. 22. Hyla uruguaya, type, F.M.N.H. No. 10567. X 2.

brown transverse interorbital spot; vocal sac slightly pigmented
anteriorly.

Measurements. — Snout to vent 26 mm.; snout to posterior border
of tympanum 7.5; width of head 8; tympanum 1.2; eye 3; leg 43;
tibia 13; arm 15.

Notes on paratypes. — Four paratypes, Nos. 10497 and 10564-
66, all from the type locality, are all males and agree closely with
the type.

160 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY— ZOOLOGY, VOL. 29

Remarks. — This small form appears to be remarkably distinct
from other South American species of Hyla in its small and narrow
tongue. Our specimens were obtained from a breeding chorus.

REFERENCES

SANBORN, COLIN C.

1929. The Land Mammals of Uruguay. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 17,
pp. 145-165.