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Myobatrachidae :
23 genera make up this assemblage of frogs which range from 20mm-110mm SVL in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. Developmental life histories vary from having aquatic larvae to terrestrial direct developing to eggs/tadpoles which are brooded within 2 slit-like pouches at the hip region. Members of the now seemingly extinct genus Rheobatrachus were able to “swallow” their eggs and brood the developing larvae in their stomach while shutting off gastric production. Different morphotypes exist within this family; from squat, short front and hind-legged, thick snouted forward burrowers to backward burrowers and unmodified terrestrial or semi-aquatic body forms. Morphological characters for this family are: 1) lack of fusion of the first two presacral vertebrae; 2) broad and wing like shape of alary processes of the hyoid (except in Rheobatrachus); 3) small or absent finger/toe discs; 4) presence of the periaxial sheath enclosing the axial fiber of the sperm flagellum. Many species are endangered and three are listed as extinct.
Genus :
Adelotus (1 species)
Arenophryne (1 species)
Assa (1 species)
Crinia (15 species)
Geocrinia (7 species)
Heleioporus (6 species)
Lechriodus (4 species)
Limnodynastes (13 species)
Metacrinia (1 species)
Mixophyes (8 species)
Myobatrachus (1 species)
Neobatrachus (10 species)
Notaden (4 species)
Paracrinia (1 species)
Philoria (6 species)
Pseudophryne (13 species)
Rheobatrachus (2 species)
Spicospina (1 species)
Taudactylus (6 species)
Uperoleia (25 species) |
