Number of Pages: 3Integrative BiologyEarth and Planetary Science

Kaiser, Hinrich

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-- Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. n Kaiser, H. 1994. kptodactylus fallax. Leptodactylus fallux Miiller Mountain Chicken, Crapaud K u m g r u n n i m ~ :  Daudin, 1803:6h (pan). Ranagruniem: Moreau d e  Jonnes, 1818:195. Incorrect sulxequent spelling. Cyst~gruthtis ocellatifi: Dumeril and Ribron, 1841:400 (part). Rrtnadelicatissirna: fideGuilding(in Giinther, 1858:27). Nomen nu- durn. See Nomenclatural History. kptodac~~It(sperztadactyItis: Boulenger, 1882:242 (part). Q~s~ignathus~zradac!ylus: Gunther, 1888:366 (part). kptodactyl~csdomi?ticen~ti: Miiller, 192549. See Nomenclatural History. Leptodnctylt~s fal1u.x Miiller, 1926200. Type-locality: "Dominica", West Indies. Syntypes, Zoologische Samnll~rngdes Bayerischen Staates (ZSM), Munich, Germany 258/1909 and 259/1909, two adult Females, collected in 1903 (exact date unknown) by "Garteninspektor Othmer" (not examined by author). Leptodac!ylrc~ f o l k :  Howes, 1930:96. Incorrect subsequent spell- ing. Content. The species is monotypic. Definition. Adults are large kptodac(yly(us (males and females to 159 and 167 mm SVL, respectively), placed by Heyer (1979) into the L. jxr~ludactylzcs species group. Dorsal coloration chestnut-brown, spotted or barred, but sometimes uniform. Later- ally, the color bccornes more orange-yellow, reaching a pale yellow o n  the ventral side. Broad banding usually occurs on  upper tibia. Males have a distal (metacarpal) cornified spine o n  each hand, but lack chest spines. Iris color is a deep  golden bronze. Tadpoles of L. fa1lu.x appear to be the longest of any species in m thc genus (1 10 mm at Gosner stage 42), with the tail  mounting t o 7 9  84% of their total length (Lescure and Letellier, 1983). Denticle row formula is 1/0. The vent is medial, the spiracle sinistral. Lescure and Letellier (1983) described this form as an  Orton-type IV taclpole (see Wassersug, 1976). Diagnosis. A species of kpto&crylrcsdisting~~ished from all other members of the genus by the following chnc~cteristics: distinct, continuous dorsolateral folds from eye to groin; absence of breast spines; absence of light stripes o n  upper lip; long hind limbs (tibia 50% SVL, foot 52% SVL); very few small dorsal and lateral h~bercles; tympanic fold weak, sharply curved towards angle of jaw; venter pale; foam nest for egg deposition created in a burrow distant from water; larvae non-feeding and restricted to burrow (Lescure and Letellier, 1983; Hourdry and Beaumont, 1985; Hero and Galntti, 1930). Figurel. Leptodactyl~rsJaIlax female fromTrafalgarValley. Dom~nica (unnumlxrcd specimen in the teaching collection, Redpath Museum, Montreal, Qi~ebec ,  Canada). - -- - -- -- - ~ ~ Map. Range of kptodactylus fa1la.x (modified from Lescure and Letellier, 1983, and Bovey, 1984): (a) Montserc~t: (h) Dominica. Smaller valleys along the northeastern leeward coast of Dominica indicated by (?) may have frog populations, but these have not been verified recently. The type-locality is too imprecise to plot. Descriptions. Miiller (1923) enumerated morphological characteristics, especially those important in distinguishing L. fallax from L.pe~ztaciac<ylus. Heyer (1979) provided a comparative synop- sis of the L. pentadacplus group and included detailed character descriptions of morphological attributes, including dorsal, lip, thigh, and tibia color patterns; he also providcd a morphometric analysis. A detailed redescription of the holotype, accompanied by information on  within-species morphological variation, color in life, distinction from L. pe?~tuducrylzis, and life history data, was given I>y Lesci~re (1979a). Brief accounts are in Brooks (19681, Lescure (1979b), Lescure and Letcllier (1983), and Schwartz and Henderson (1991). The call of L. fallnz-, described in detail by Lescure (1979a), is of 0.18 to0.20sduntion and givenat a frequency o f u p  to42 per minute, with a dominant frequency between 500 and 1500 Hz. Males and females o f  L. fallaz- issue clistress "screan~s" spanning a frequency spectrum of 8 kHz with multiple harmonics, each screarli lasting0.2 to 0.3 s with intervals of 0.3 to 0.4 s. Illustrations. Color photographs of an adult are in Lescure and Letellier (1983) and Obst et al. (1988). Other photographsare in Larnonc and Lescure (1977). Lescure( 1979a). Krintlerand Domrnaschk (1980). ant1 Krintler (1986). Drawings of the tadpoles can be found in Lescure (1979a) a n d  Lescure a n d  Letellier (1983).  Aucliospttctrograrns of the mating call and the distres call were l>ublisl~ed by Lescure (1979a). O n  Dominica, color postcards depict- ing L. falhz- are con~monly available, and a postagestamp illustrating the species has been issued. - - Figure 2. Audiospectrogram of the call of ~e~todactylus fallax: (a) advertisementcall; (b) release call. Both recordings were made by H. Kaiser and T.F. Sharbel in the Trafalgar Valley, Dominica, on 27August 1992, temperature 24°C (live voucher specimen in the Metro Toronto Zoo, Toronto, Canada). Distribution. Leptodaciylusfallax is extant only on the leeward coasts of Dominica and Montserrat in the Lesser Antilles, from sea level to an altitude of approximately 320 m (Schwartz and Henderson, 1991). Preserved specimens from St. Kitts are housed in the collection at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, but the species has not been seen on that island since the 1881 expedition led by Garman (Lescure, 1979b). Beyond these records, the historical distribution of the species is somewhat con- fused. St. Lucia was added to the distribution by Barbour (l914), and Guadeloupe by Barbour (1930a). Long (1974) stated that L. fallax was at some point present on St. Lucia, and Faaborg and Arendt (1985) even consideredl. fallax endangered on St. Lucia; however, neither presentation referred to specimens. Both Guadeloupe and St. Lucia were already considered only historical records (Schwartz and Henderson, 1991; Schwartz and Thomas, 1975), and the theory that L. fallax ever existed on St. Lucia was laid to rest convincingly by Corke (1987). Dunn (1934)fide Gunther (1858) added Antigua to the distribution, a record doubted by Lynn (1957). Seventeenth century records presented by Barbour (1914) and Lescure (1979a, b), sug- gested that L. fallax was abundant during that time on both Guadeloupe and Martinique. No reason exists to doubt Lescure's (1979a, b) historical information about Martinique, where the species was last recorded in 1796. However, none of the records for Antigua, Guadeloupe, Martinique, or St. Lucia are actually based on voucher specimens. Mongoose predation (Barbour, 1930b, 1937; Groome, 1968) or the introduction of Bufo marinus (Groome, 1968; Lescure, 1983) may have been responsible for the extinction of L. fallax elsewhere in the Lesser Antilles. I-Iowever, the species disappeared from Martinique well before the mongoose was introduced in the 1890s (Lescure, 1979b), and it coexists with B. marinus in some areas of Montserrat (Lescure, 1983). Several attempts to introduce L. fallax on Grenada (Groome, 19681, Martinique (Lescure, 1983), and Puerto Rico (Barbour, 1937) have failed. Fossil Record. None Pertinent Literature. The most comprehensive work is by Lescure (1979a). Heyer (1979) integrated the species into the L. pentadactylus group and provided comparative morphological information. Lamotte and Lescure (19771, Lescure and Letellier (1983), and Hourdry and Beaumont (1985) discussed reproduction. Brief accounts were given by Brooks (1968), Lescure (1979b), and Schwartz and Henderson (1991). Brooks (1982) provided informa- tion on prey choice and consumption. For an account of the species on Montserrat, see Bovey (1986). Nomenclatural History. Aside from the seventeenth cen- tury anecdotal information about a large edible frog in the French Antilles quoted by Lescure (1979a), the first formal mention of the species was as Ranagmnniens by Daudin (1803). The name Rana gmniens was used by Moreau de Jonnes (1818), but this use constitutes an unjustified emendation. Subsequently, large Lesser Antillean frog specimens were regarded as Cystignathus ocellatus (Dumeril and Bibron, 18411, L ~ t o d a c t y t a d a c t y  (Boulenger, 18821, and C.pentadactylus (Gunther, 1888). In his initial descrip- tion of the species, Muller (1923) proposed the name L. dominicensis, but this name was already taken by L. dominicensis Cochran, 1923. Muller (1926) then introduced L. fallax as a nomen novum for L. dominicensis Muller. The original description lists ZSM 258/1909 as the holotype and ZSM 25911909 as a cotype. The name Rana delicatissima, applied by Guilding in the unpublished list of pur- chases of the British Museum (1837.3.15. 1 to 1845.3.15.10), consti- tutes a nomen nudum (see Lescure, 1979). The use of the name L. follax by Howes (1930) is an unjustified emendation, most likely attributable to misspelling. Remarks. Lescure and Letellier (1983) reported on captive breeding and commented on the reproduction of the species. Foam nests are constructed in 30-40 cm deep burrows and are guarded by the female parent. Up to 30 eggs per clutch have been observed. Tadpoles do not feed until metamorphosis but use the yolk for nutrition. In an investigation of the feeding ecology of the species, Brooks (1982) showed that prey items consisted of a great variety of taxa of widely differing sizes, including small anurans and lizards. rn Krintler (1986) gave a maximum size of 210 mm for a specimen sold at a market on Dominica in 1976. The local vernacular name "mountain chicken" is in reference to what is perceived as a chicken- like vocalization that commonly resounds from the steep sides of valleys. The vernacular "crapaud" is the Creole word for toad or large frog. Etymology. The Latin fallax means deceitful or false, in reference to the fact that museum specimens of this species were frequently confused with L. pentadactylus (Muller, 1926). Comment. Leptodactylus fallax is abundant on the leeward side of Dominica and it inhabits pristine forested areas as well as areas disturbed by agricultural activity. During several visits, I found an abundance of calling males in most valleys, and when walking in the vicinity of calling males I always encountered females. These cursory explorations therefore seem to indicate that the population is repro- ductively sound, despite the fact that L. fallax is a local delicacy, as reported by Coleridge (1832): "... [Alnd the crapauds, enormous frogs of the color and size of about ten fat toads, are eaten by those who like them. It is the most unbearable beast I ever saw. I can hardly think of it now without being qualmish. I can eat monkey, snake, or lizard; there is not much in that; but verily to munch and crush and squeeze ... gah! [Ilt is downright cannibalism and popery. Dear brethren, have ye not yams, plantains, eddoes? [Yle are called Christians!" The government of Dominica is sensitive to the management needs of the species and has created hunting seasons to ensure its continued welfare. However, with the recent surge of eco-tourism on Dominica, the demand for mountain chicken as a culinary curiosity has increased. On Montserrat, the species seems headed for extinc- tion, especially considering the sudden habitat loss created by Hur- n ricane Hugo in 1989. The Fauna and Flora Preservation Society has planned a biodiversity conservation project on Montserrat for 1995 that includes a L. fallax component (Mark Day, pers. comm.). Literature Cited Barbour, T. 1914. A contribution to the zoogeography of the West In- dies, with especial reference to amphibians and reptiles. Mem. Mus. Comp. Zoo1.44:209-359. -. 1930a. A List of Antillean reptiles and amphibians. Zoologica (N.Y.) 11:61-116. 1930b. Some faunistic changes in the LesserAntilles. Proc. New England Zool. Club 11:73-85. -. 1937. Third list of Antillean reptiles and amphibians. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 82:77-166. Boulenger, G.A. 1882. Catalogue of the Batrachia Salientia S. Ecaudata in the collection of the British Museum. 2nd ed. Board of Trus- tees [Brit. Mus.1, London. Bovey, R. 1986. Montserrat-a summary of available information and a proposal for a system of protected natural sites. Report submit- ted to the Montserrat National Trust, the Government of Mont- serrat, and the World Wildlife Fund (U.K.). Brooks, G.R., Jr. 1968. Natural history of a West Indian frog, Leptodac- tylus fallax. Virginia J. Sci. 19176. -. 1982. An analysis of the prey consumed by the anuran, Lepto- dactylus fallax, from Dominica, West Indies. Biotropica 14:301- 309. Cochran, D.M. 1923. A new frog of the genus Leptodactylus. J. Wash- ington Acad. Sci. 13:184-185. Coleridge, H.N. 1832. Six months in the West Indies in 1825. 3rd ed. John Murray, London. Corke, D. 1987. The status and conservation of the reptiles and am- phibians of St. Lucia. Report submitted to the World Wildlife Fund (U. S.), project no. US 479. Daudin, F.M. 1803. Histoire naturelle des rainettes, des grenouilles, et des crapauds. Levrault, Paris. DumCril, A,-M.-C. and G. Bibron. 1841. ~ r ~ k t o l o ~ i e  genCrale ou his- toire complPte des reptiles, Vol. 8. Libraire EncyclopCdique de Roret, Paris. Dunn, E.R. 1934. Physiography and herpetology in the Lesser Antilles. Copeia 1934:105-111. Faaborg, J.R. and W.J. Arendt. 1985. Wildlife assessments in the Carib- bean. Inst. Trop. Forestry Publ., U.S. Forest Sew., San Juan, Puerto Rico. Groome, J.R. 1968. A natural history of the island of Grenada, W.I. Grenada National Trust, St. George's. Gunther, A.C. 1858. Catalogue of the Batrachia Salientia in the col- lection of the British Museum. The Trustees [Brit. Mus.1, London. 1888. Notes on reptiles and amphibians from Dominica, West Indies. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 6th Ser. 2362-366. Hero, J.-M. and U. Galatti. 1990. Characteristics distinguishingLepto- dactyluspentadactylus and L. knudseni in the Central Amazon rainforest. J. Herpetol. 24:227-228. Heyer, W.R. 1979. Systematics of thepentadactylus species group of the frog genus Leptodactylus (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae). Smithson. Contr. Zool. (301):iii + 43 p. Hourdry, J. and A. Beaumont. 1985. Les metamorphoses des amphib- iens. Masson, Paris. Howes, P.G. 1930. Wild life in Dominica. A brief outline of the many interesting species revealed to the members of two short expedi- tions. Nat. Hist. 30:90-103. Krintler, K. 1986. Dominica-herpetologisches Kleinod in der Karibik. Herpetofauna 8:26-30. - and K. Dommaschk. 1980. Herpetologische Reise zur Karibik- Insel Dominica. Aquar.-Terrar.-Z. 33:284-286. Lamotte, M., and J. Lescure. 1977. Tendances adaptives 1 l'affranchisse- ment du milieu aquatique chez les amphibiens anoures. Rev. Ecol. (Terre Vie) 31:225-311. Lescure, J. 1979a. ~ t u d e  taxinomique et CcoCthologique d'un amphib- ien des petites Antilles: Leptodactylus fallax Miiller, 1926 (Lep- todactylidae). Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., sect. A, Zool. Biol. Ecol. Anim., 4e sCr., 1:757-774. 1979b. Singularit6 et fragiliti. de la faune envertebrks des petites Antilles. C.R. Soc. Riogeogr. (482193-109. 1983. Introductions passiveset actives de reptiles etd'amphibiens dans les Antilles et les Guyanes. C.R. Soc. BiogCogr. 59:59-70. -and F. Letellier. 1983. Reproduction en captivite de Leptodactylus fallax Muller, 1926 (Amphibia, Leptodactylidae). Rev. fr. Aquar- iol. 10:61-64. Long, E.G. 1974. The serpent's tale. Reptiles and amphibians of St. Lu- cia. Iouanaloa Ser. (2):ix + 46 p. Lynn, W.G. 1957. Notes on a collection of reptiles and amphibians from Antigua, B.W.I. Herpetologica 1353-56. Moreau de JonnCs, A. 1818. Monographie de la couleuvre couresse des Antilles, Coluberconstnctor de De Lacepede. J. Physiol. 87: 193-200. Muller, L. 1923. Neue oder seltene Reptilien und Batrachier der Zoo- logischen Sammlung des bayr. Staates. Zool. Anz. 57:49-61. -A ,1926. Leptodactylus fallax nom. nov. fur Leptodactylusdomini- censis L. Mull. (non Cochran). Zool. Anz. 65200. Obst, F.J., K. Richter, and IJ. Jacob. 1988. The completely illustrated atlas of reptiles and amphibians for the terrarium. T.F.H. Publica- tions, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey. Schwartz, A. and R.W. Henderson. 1991. Amphibians and reptiles of the West Indies: descriptions, distributions, and natural history. Univ. Florida Press, Gainesville. -and R. Thomas. 1975. A check-list of West Indian amphibians and reptiles. Carnegie Mus. Nat. Hist. Spec. Publ. (1):l-216. Wassersug, R.J. 1976. Oral morphology of anuran larvae: terminology and general description. Occ. Pap. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kans. (68):l-146. Hinrich Kaiser, Institut fur Humangenetik, Universitat Wurzburg, Biozentrum am Hubland, 97074 Wurzburg, Germany, and Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2K6. Primary editor for this account, John D. Lynch. Published 30 December 1994 and Copyright 0 1994 by the Societyfor the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 

Leptodactylus fallax

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Leptodactylus fallax

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