| Species ID | 020170 |
| Name | Leprus chirping frog |
| Other Common Names | Gulf Chirping Frog |
| Category | 02 Amphibians |
| Phylum | |
| Subphylum | |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Subclass | |
| Suborder | |
| Family | Leptodactylidae |
| Genus | Eleutherodactylus |
| Species | leprus |
| Subspecies | |
| References | 3 |
| Scientific Synonyms | Syrrhophus leprus - Cope, 1879 |
4* Considered by some herpetologists to belong to genus Eleutherodactylus. 1* W. T. Neill (1965) described Syrrhophus leprus cholorum from Belize, but Lynch (1970a:20) concluded that the form was not distinct from other specimens collected throughout the range of the species. This species and its close allies were long placed in the genus Syrrhophus. Hedges (1989:318) combined Syrrhophus and three other genera with Eleutherodactylus, thereby adding 26 species to Eleutherodactylus and reducing the paraphyly of that genus. Although this action has not been universally accepted, I follow Lynch (1991:1138) in accepting the placement of Syrrhophus within Eleutherodactylus. Lynch (1970) reviewed E. leprus as part of his revision of the genus Syrrhopus.
| DISTRICT | References |
| Stann Creek, Belize | 5 |
| Orange Walk, Belize | 1 |
| Toledo, Belize | 1 |
| Administrative Unit | Occurrence | Abundance | Temporal | References |
| Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | Photographed | Unknown, insufficient data | June | 5 |
| Private land, see comments | 2 | |||
| Rio Bravo Conservation Area | 1 | |||
| Government land | 1 |
| ELEVATION Association | References |
| 1-200 m | 5 |
| QUAD Distribution | References |
| 16 45' to 17 00'; 88 15' to 88 30' | 5 |
| 16 15' to 16 30'; 88 45' to 89 00' | 1 |
| 16 00' to 16 15'; 89 00' to 89 15' | 2 |
| 17 45' to 18 00'; 89 00' to 89 15' | 1 |
| Holdridge Life Zone Distribution | References |
| Tropical moist-transition to Subtropical | 5 |
Comments on Distribution
5* Heard calling about 19:00, located 30 cm from ground root in think vegetation, and captured photographed and released. 4* Known from the Orange Walk and Toledo Districts, but probably also occurs in the Cayo and Stann Creek Districts. 3* This species is known from the Toledo District.
| Pictures | |
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| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
Life History Narrative
3* Little is known of the natural history of this uncommon frog. It apparently inhabits humid lowland forests and is active on the forest floor, probably hunting for small invertebrates. In the forests of southern El Pet‚n, Duellman (1963:223) reported finding a specimen out on the forest floor during the day and two others beneath rocks. W. T. Neill (1965:86) found specimens abroad at night on dirt roads in a well-forested area of Toledo District. Presumably this species lays terrestrial eggs and exhibits direct development, as do other members of the subgenus Syrrhophus. 4* This frog in very poorly known in Belize, but appears to be an inhabitant of the Evergreen Broadleaf Forest and Semi-evergreen Seasonal Forest formations, where it has been found at elevations up to about 700 ft (235m). They are strictly nocturnal, and may be heard calling from low vegetation and dense thickets, especially during light rains. During the daylight, they probably take refuge under logs, rocks, and in crevices. The call is a birdlike "chirp," or "trink," repeated at erratic intervals.
Life History References
4, 3
| References/Result | Reference Numbers |
1 Meerman, J., 1994. Summary of Herpetofauna Distributions in Belize. Report to National Protected Areas Management Project. 2 Neill, W.T. and R. Allen. 1961. Further studies on the herpetology of British Honduras. Herpetologica 17(1):37-52. 3 Lee, Julian C. 1996. The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Yucatan Peninsula. Comstock Publishing Associates. Ithaca, New York. 4 Meyer, J.R. and C.F. Foster. 1996. A Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Belize. pp. 36-37. 5 Miller, C.M. 1999. Natural history voucher photograph collection.