Criolla Frog

About the Criolla Frog

Leptodactylus latrans is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is native to much of South America east of the Andes, and Trinidad and Tobago. It has many common names, including rana criolla, sapo-rana llanero, butter frog, argus frog, and lesser foam frog.

The adult male frog measures 90-120 mm in snout-vent length and the adult female frog is 80-110 mm. The skin of the dorsum is dark gray or red-brown in color with folded skin. There are dark ocelli spots with white around the edges, resembling eyes. The male frog has robust front legs. This frog has only fringed skin on its feet rather than full webbing, so it can swim well but also jump and move effectively on land.

The adult frog can alter the length of its gut. The male frogs have longer guts during the warm part of the year when food is most abundant, and female frogs have longer guts during the cold part of the year when they develop eggs.

This is a common species in many parts of its range. It can be found in a variety of habitat types, including swamps, savannah, grasslands, and tropical forest ecosystems. It tolerates disturbed habitat and can be seen in gardens and... Wikipedia →