| Species ID | 020100 |
| Name | Broad-headed rainfrog |
| Other Common Names | |
| Category | 02 Amphibians |
| Phylum | |
| Subphylum | |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Subclass | |
| Suborder | |
| Family | Leptodactylidae |
| Genus | Eleutherodactylus |
| Species | laticeps |
| Subspecies | |
| References | 2 |
| Scientific Synonyms | Hylodes laticeps, Dumeril, 1853 |
3* Eleutherodactylus stantoni was described from Valentin in the Cayo District, but this name is now considerd to be a synonym of E. laticeps. 2* Schmidt (1941:483) proposed the name E. stantoni for specimens of a broad-headed form of Eleutherodactylus from Belize. W. T. Neill (1965:85) considered E. stantoni a junior synonym of E. laticeps, a view confirmed by Savage (1987), who also clarified the confused nomenclatural history of these frogs and suggested that the type locality of E. laticeps is most likely near Cob n, Alta Verapaz.
| DISTRICT | References |
| Cayo, Belize | 1 |
| Toledo, Belize | 1 |
| Administrative Unit | Occurrence | Abundance | Temporal | References |
| Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve | 1 | |||
| Chiquibul Forest Reserve | 1 | |||
| Columbia River Forest Reserve | 1 |
| QUAD Distribution | References |
| 16 45' to 17 00'; 88 45' to 89 00' | 1 |
| 16 30' to 16 45'; 88 45' to 89 00' | 1 |
| 16 15' to 16 30'; 89 00' to 89 15' | 1 |
Comments on Distribution
3* In Belize, known only from about 600' to 3,000' (200-1,000m) in the Maya Mountains. Records are from Cayo and Toledo Districts, although it probably also occurs in Stann Creek District.
| Pictures | |
Comments on General Food Habits
2* Neill (1965:85) also noted that a specimen from Cayo District had swallowed a large katydid, so the diet certainly includes insects.
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
| General | 2 |
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
Life History Narrative
2* This frog is an uncommon inhabitant of lowland and premontane tropical forests, where individuals have been collected on the forest floor at night-although W. T. Neill (1965:83) reported finding a specimen in grass in a roadside puddle during the day. Neill (1965:85) also noted that a specimen from Cayo District had swallowed a large katydid, so the diet certainly includes insects. Presumably E. laticeps, like other members of the genus, lays its eggs in terrestrial situations, and the larvae undergo direct development. 3* This species, which may reach 3.5 in (88 mm) in snout- vent length, has only minimal toe webbing. It has a granu-lar dorsal surface, usually a suprascapular fold, and well- developed dorsolateral glandular ridges. A dark face mask is usually present and there is no dark seat patch. The dorsal color is medium to dark brown, with a variety of lighter markings, sometimes including a mid-dorsal light stripe. The legs are banded with light and dark brown; the finger and toe disks are only slightly expanded. In life, the iris is yellow, Small laticeps might be confused with E. chac, but the latter has a dark seat patch and red iris in life. An inhabitant of the Evergreen Broadleaf Forest and Sub-tropical Evergreen Forest formations, where it has been found on the forest floor, in grass at the edge of the forest, and on a low bush at the edge of a forest clearing. The few records that are available indicate that this frog may be active during the daytime and at night, depending upon local conditions. Their pattern allows them to blend well with their forest surroundings. There is no known vocaliz-ation by this rainfrog. As with most members of the genus, the broadhead rain-frog presumably lays eggs in leaf litter on the ground, and these undergo direct development into small frogs. The lack of vocalization is probably a reflection of the lack of congregation in choruses at breeding sites. A small indi-vidual has been found in December, indicating that breed-ing may take place during the rainy season.
Life History References
2, 3
| References/Result | Reference Numbers |
1 Meerman, J., 1994. Summary of Herpetofauna Distributions in Belize. Report to National Protected Areas Management Project. 2 Lee, Julian C. 1996. The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Yucatan Peninsula. Comstock Publishing Associates. Ithaca, New York. 3 Meyer, J.R. and C.F. Foster. 1996. A Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Belize. pp. 20-21.