Boophis
Boophis is the only genus in the mantellid frog subfamily Boophinae. They are commonly known as bright-eyed or skeleton frogs. They show typical 'tree frog' traits, and are a good example of convergent evolution with morphologically similar species in the families Hylidae and Rhacophoridae, among others. This genus can only be found on Madagascar and Mayotte Island.
Taxonomy
The genus Boophis was described by Johann Jakob von Tschudi in 1838. It was originally considered a member of the African-Asian family Rhacophoridae, but was moved to the family Mantellidae in 2001, into its own subfamily, Boophinae Vences & Glaw, 2001.Morphology
Boophis are arboreal frogs, exhibiting many traits that define 'tree frogs', such as expanded toe discs, long hindlimbs, and large kind eyes. Boophis are especially characterised by bright colouration of the iris, which is typically intricately patterned towards its inside, and often green or blue, but occasionally also red, purple, or yellow in the outer iris area. This has led to the vernacular name of bright-eyed frogs for the genus. Many species of Boophis have almost translucent skin, allowing bones and internal organs to be observed as in the unrelated glass frogs of the tropical Americas. This has led to the vernacular name skeleton frogs for some members of the genus.Species
The genus has nearly 80 species; new ones are being described every few months on average. This list may not be exhaustive.Boophis albilabris Boophis albipunctatus Glaw & Thiesmeier, 1993Boophis andohahela Andreone, Nincheri & Piazza, 1995Boophis andrangoloaka Boophis andreonei Glaw & Vences, 1994Boophis anjanaharibeensis Andreone, 1996Boophis ankarafensis Penny, Andreone, Crottini, Holderied, Rakotozafy, Schwitzer & Rosa, 2014Boophis ankaratra Andreone, 1993Boophis arcanus Glaw, J. Köhler, De la Riva, Vieites & Vences, 2010Boophis archeri Vences et al., 2024Boophis axelmeyeri Vences, Andreone & Veities, 2005Boophis baetkei J. Köhler, Glaw & Vences, 2008Boophis blommersae Glaw & Vences, 1994Boophis boehmei Glaw & Vences, 1992Boophis boppa Hutter, Lambert, Andriampenomanana & Vences, 2015Boophis bottae Vences & Glaw, 2002Boophis brachychir Boettger, 1882Boophis burnhamae Vences et al., 2024Boophis burgeri Glaw & Vences, 1994Boophis calcaratus Vallan, Vences & Glaw, 2010Boophis doulioti Angel, 1934Boophis elenae Andreone, 1993Boophis englaenderi Glaw & Vences, 1994Boophis entingae Glaw, J. Köhler, De la Riva, Vieites & Vences, 2010Boophis erythrodactylus Boophis fayi J. Köhler, Glaw, Rosa, Gehring, Pabijan, Andreone & Vences, 2011Boophis feonnyala Glaw, Vences, Andreone & Vallan, 2001Boophis goudotii Tschudi, 1838Boophis guibei Boophis haematopus Glaw, Vences, Andreone & Vallan, 2001Boophis haingana Glaw, J. Köhler, De la Riva, Vieites & Vences, 2010Boophis idae Boophis jaegeri Glaw & Vences, 1992 – Green Skeleton FrogBoophis janewayae Vences et al., 2024Boophis kirki Vences et al., 2024Boophis laurenti Guibé, 1947Boophis liami Vallan, Vences & Glaw, 2003Boophis lichenoides Vallan, Glaw, Andreone & Cadle, 1998Boophis lilianae J. Köhler, Glaw & Vences, 2008Boophis luciae Glaw, J. Köhler, De la Riva, Vieites & Vences, 2010Boophis luteus Boophis madagascariensis Boophis majori Boophis mandraka Blommers-Schlösser, 1979Boophis marojezensis Glaw & Vences, 1994Boophis masoala Glaw, Scherz, Prötzel & Vences, 2018Boophis miadana Glaw, J. Köhler, De la Riva, Vieites & Vences, 2010Boophis microtympanum Boophis miniatus Boophis narinsi Vences, Gehara, J. Köhler & Glaw, 2012Boophis nauticus Glaw, Hawlitschek, K. Glaw & Vences, 2019Boophis obscurus Boophis occidentalis Glaw & Vences, 1994Boophis opisthodon Boophis pauliani Boophis periegetes Cadle, 1995Boophis picardi Vences et al., 2024Boophis picturatus Glaw, Vences, Andreone & Vallan, 2001Boophis pikei Vences et al., 2024Boophis piperatus Glaw, J. Köhler, De la Riva, Vieites & Vences, 2010Boophis popi J. Köhler, Glaw, Rosa, Gehring, Pabijan, Andreone & Vences, 2011Boophis praedictus Glaw, J. Köhler, De la Riva, Vieites & Vences, 2010Boophis pyrrhus Glaw, Vences, Andreone & Vallan, 2001Boophis quasiboehmei Vences, J. Köhler, Crottini & Glaw, 2010Boophis rappiodes Boophis reticulatus Blommers-Schlösser, 1979Boophis rhodoscelis Boophis roseipalmatus Glaw, J. Köhler, De la Riva, Vieites & Vences, 2010Boophis rufioculis Glaw & Vences, 1997Boophis sambirano Vences & Glaw, 2005Boophis sandrae Glaw, J. Köhler, De la Riva, Vieites & Vences, 2010Boophis schuboeae Glaw & Vences, 2002Boophis septentrionalis Glaw & Vences, 1994Boophis sibilans Glaw & Thiesmeier, 1993Boophis siskoi Vences et al., 2024Boophis solomaso Vallan, Vences & Glaw, 2003Boophis spinophis Glaw, J. Köhler, De la Riva, Vieites & Vences, 2010Boophis tampoka J. Köhler, Glaw & Vences, 2007Boophis tasymena Vences & Glaw, 2002Boophis tephraeomystax Boophis tsilomaro Vences, Andreone, Glos & Glaw, 2010Boophis ulftunni Wollenberg, Andreone, Glaw & Vences, 2008Boophis viridis Blommers-Schlösser, 1979Boophis vittatus Glaw, Vences, Andreone & Vallan, 2001Boophis williamsi Boophis xerophilus Glaw & Vences, 1997Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than boophis.