Golden Treefrog

About the Golden Treefrog

Phytotriades is a genus of tree frogs in the family Hylidae. As currently delimited, the genus is monotypic and contains Phytotriades auratus, commonly known as the golden tree frog, bromeliad-dwelling treefrog, El Tucuche golden tree frog, or Trinidad heart-tongued frog.

Phytotriades was separated from the genus Phyllodytes based primarily on genetic evidence; this also solved the unusual, disjunct distribution of the genus (the remaining Phyllodytes are endemic to eastern Brazil). Nevertheless, the contents of the genus remain to be elucidated. Earlier on, also Phyllodytes wuchereri was included in the "Phyllodytes auratus group", but the position of this species has not been addressed. At the moment, it is not clear which Phyllodytes species might eventually end up in this genus.

AmphibiaWeb continues to include Phytotriades auratus in Phyllodytes. Phytotriades auratus is known from the summits of El Cerro del Aripo and El Tucuche, the two highest peaks in Trinidad, as well as from Cerro Humo on the Paria Peninsula, Venezuela, on the adjacent mainland. There is circumstantial evidence suggesting that the species might also occur (or have occurred... Wikipedia →