The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family of frogs. The 683 species are in 57 genera and 11 subfamilies.

Evolution

A molecular phylogenetic study by van der Meijden, et al. (2007) has estimated the initial internal divergence of the family Microhylidae to have taken place about 66 million years ago, or immediately after the Cretaceous extinction event. They can be arboreal or terrestrial, and some even live close to water. The ground-dwellers are often found under leaf litter within forests, occasionally venturing out at night to hunt. The two main shapes for the microhylids are wide bodies and narrow mouths and normal frog proportions. Those with narrow mouths generally eat termites and ants, and the others have diets typical of most frogs. Egg-laying habits are highly varied.

Reproduction

The microhylids of New Guinea and Australia completely bypass the tadpole stage, with direct development from egg to frog. The arboreal species can therefore lay the eggs within the trees, and never need venture to the ground. Where species do have tadpoles, these almost always lack the teeth or horny beaks typical of the tadpoles of other families.

Taxonomy

  • subfamily Adelastinae <small>Peloso, Frost, Richards, Rodrigues, Donnellan, Matsui, Raxworthy, Biju, Lemmon, Lemmon, & Wheeler, 2015</small>
  • genus Adelastes <small>Zweifel, 1986</small>
  • subfamily Asterophryinae <small>Günther, 1858</small>
  • genus Aphantophryne <small>Fry, 1917</small>
  • genus Asterophrys <small>Tschudi, 1838</small>
  • genus Austrochaperina <small>Fry, 1912</small>thumb|175x175px|[[Paedophryne amauensis|Paedophryne amanuensis]]
  • genus Barygenys <small>Parker, 1936</small>
  • genus Callulops <small>Boulenger, 1888</small>
  • genus Choerophryne <small>Van Kampen, 1914</small>
  • genus Cophixalus <small>Boettger, 1892</small>
  • genus Copiula <small>Méhely, 1901</small>
  • genus Gastrophrynoides <small>Noble, 1926</small>
  • genus Hylophorbus <small>Macleay, 1878</small>
  • genus Mantophryne <small>Boulenger, 1897</small>
  • genus Oninia <small>Günther, Stelbrink & von Rintelen, 2010</small>
  • genus Oreophryne <small>Boettger, 1895</small>
  • genus Paedophryne <small>Kraus, 2010</small>
  • genus Siamophryne <small>Suwannapoom, Sumontha, Tunprasert, Ruangsuwan, Pawangkhanant, Korost, and Poyarkov, 2018</small>
  • genus Sphenophryne <small>Peters & Doria, 1878</small>
  • genus Vietnamophryne <small>Poyarkov, Suwannapoom, Pawangkhanant, Aksornneam, Duong, Korost and Che, 2018</small>
  • genus Xenorhina <small>Peters, 1863</small>
  • subfamily Chaperininae <small>Peloso, Frost, Richards, Rodrigues, Donnellan, Matsui, Raxworthy, Biju, Lemmon, Lemmon, & Wheeler, 2015</small>
  • thumb|213x213px|[[Mantophryne insignis]]genus Chaperina <small>Mocquard, 1892</small>
  • subfamily Cophylinae <small>Cope, 1889</small>
  • genus Anilany <small>Scherz, Vences, Rakotoarison, Andreone, Köhler, Glaw, and Crottini, 2016</small>
  • genus Anodonthyla <small>Müller, 1892</small>
  • genus Cophyla <small>Boettger, 1880</small>
  • thumb|212x212px|[[Chiasmocleis hudsoni]]genus Madecassophryne <small>Guibé, 1974</small>
  • genus Mini <small>Scherz, Hutter, Rakotoarison, Riemann, Rödel, Ndriantsoa, Glos, Roberts, Crottini, Vences & Glaw, 2019</small>
  • genus Plethodontohyla <small>Boulenger, 1882</small>
  • genus Rhombophryne <small>Boettger, 1880</small>
  • genus Stumpffia <small>Botteger, 1881</small>
  • subfamily Dyscophinae <small>Boulenger, 1882</small>
  • genus Dyscophus <small>Grandidier, 1872</small>
  • subfamily Gastrophryninae <small>Fitzinger, 1843</small>
  • genus Arcovomer <small>Carvalho, 1954</small>
  • thumb|[[Elachistocleis helianneae]]genus Chiasmocleis <small>Méhely, 1904</small>
  • genus Ctenophryne <small>Mocquard, 1904</small>
  • genus Dasypops <small>Miranda-Ribeiro, 1924</small>
  • genus Dermatonotus <small>Méhely, 1904</small>
  • genus Elachistocleis <small>Parker, 1927</small>
  • genus Gastrophryne <small>Fitzinger, 1843</small>
  • genus Hamptophryne <small>Carvalho, 1954</small>
  • genus Hypopachus <small>Keferstein, 1867</small>
  • genus Myersiella <small>Carvalho, 1954</small>
  • thumb|[[Banded bullfrog|Kaloula pulchra]]genus Stereocyclops <small>Cope, 1870</small>
  • subfamily Hoplophryninae <small>Noble, 1931</small>
  • genus Hoplophryne <small>Barbour & Loveridge, 1928</small>
  • genus Parhoplophryne <small>Barbour & Loveridge, 1928</small>
  • subfamily Kalophryninae <small>Mivart, 1869</small>
  • genus Kalophrynus <small>Tschudi, 1838</small>
  • subfamily Melanobatrachinae <small>Noble, 1931</small>
  • thumb|[[Melanobatrachus|Melanobatrachus indicus]]genus Melanobatrachus <small>Beddome, 1878</small>
  • subfamily Microhylinae <small>Günther, 1858</small>
  • genus Glyphoglossus <small>Gunther, 1869 "1868"</small>
  • genus Kaloula <small>Gray, 1831</small>
  • genus Metaphrynella <small>Parker, 1934</small>
  • genus Microhyla <small>Tschudi, 1838</small>
  • genus Micryletta <small>Dubois, 1987</small>
  • genus Mysticellus <small>Sonali & Biju, 2019</small>
  • thumb|[[Scaphiophryne gottlebei]]genus Nanohyla
  • genus Phrynella <small>Boulenger, 1887</small>
  • genus Uperodon <small>Duméril & Bibron, 1841</small>
  • subfamily Otophryninae <small>Wassersug & Pyburn, 1987</small>
  • genus Otophryne <small>Boulenger, 1900</small>
  • genus Synapturanus <small>Carvalho, 1954</small>
  • subfamily Phrynomerinae <small>Noble, 1931</small>
  • genus Phrynomantis <small>Peters, 1867</small>
  • subfamily Scaphiophryninae <small>Laurent, 1946</small>
  • genus Paradoxophyla <small>Blommers-Schlösser & Blanc, 1991</small>
  • genus Scaphiophryne <small>Boulenger, 1882</small>

Range

Frogs from the Microhylidae occur throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of North America, South America, Africa, eastern India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Australia. Although most are found in tropical or subtropical regions, a few species can be found in arid or nontropical areas. They are the majority of frog species in New Guinea and Madagascar.

The ranges of each subfamily are:

  • Hoplophryninae: Africa
  • Scaphiophryninae: Madagascar
  • Dyscophinae: Madagascar
  • Microhylinae: Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia
  • Asterophryinae: Australia, New Guinea
  • Phrynomerinae: Africa
  • Kalophryninae: Southeast Asia
  • Otophyninae: South America
  • Cophylinae: Madagascar
  • Gastrophryninae: New World
  • Melanobatrachinae: South Asia
  • Chaperininae: Southeast Asia
  • Adelastinae: South America

References