Proceratophrys melanopogon

Proceratophrys melanopogon is a species of frog in the family Odontophrynidae. It is endemic to Serra do Mar in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo states, Brazil.

Description

Proceratophrys melanopogon grows to a snout-to-vent length of for males and for females. It has a rounded snout and the fingers are unwebbed and have swollen tips. The skin on the back is smooth or has small warty tubercles and on the side has glandular warts. There is a distinctive ridge running from above the eye to the pelvis. The colour is some shade of brown and there are several irregular dark blotches.

Distribution and habitat

Proceratophrys melanopogon is endemic to the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil. Records from Minas Gerais probably refer to Proceratophrys mantiqueira. It is found in forests, living among the leaf litter and breeding in small streams. Its altitudinal range is above sea level.

Breeding

Proceratophrys melanopogon is an explosive breeder. After heavy rain has fallen creating temporary pools and streamlets, large numbers of male frogs gather together and call to attract females. The call is a multipulsed series of notes with a frequency of about 1179 Hz and is heard between 6pm and midnight. The tadpoles develop in slow-moving streams. They have wide stripes on the caudal musculature.

Status

Ongoing threats to Proceratophrys melanopogon include habitat loss and fragmentation due to centuries of human exploitation of its forests through logging and land conversion in favor of agriculture, sericulture, urbanization, and livestock cultivation. However, much of its remaining habitat is within national parks or in otherwise protected areas. This frog is quite common and though its numbers may be decreasing, they are not doing so at a fast enough rate as to make the species threatened, and the IUCN lists it as being of "least concern".