| Species ID | 020360 |
| Name | Mountain Fringe-limbed Frog |
| Other Common Names | |
| Category | 02 Amphibians |
| Phylum | |
| Subphylum | |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Subclass | |
| Suborder | |
| Family | Hylidae |
| Genus | Hyla |
| Species | minera |
| Subspecies | |
| References | 1, 2 |
2* Specimens previously assigned to H. velancifer from the Sierra de las Minas, Baja Verapaz, Guatemala, were described by L. D. Wilson et al. (1985:145) as H. minera, a species said to differ from H. velancifer in having cranial co-ossification and prepollical spines in males. The single known specimen of fringe-limbed Hyla from the Yucat n Peninsula is a female from the Maya Mountains of Belize that lacks cranial co-ossification and was identified as H. velancifer on that basis. As H. velancifer is otherwise known only from southern Veracruz, the record for Belize is anomalous. The very similar H. minera is known from several localites in nearby northern Guatemala, however. J. A. Campbell examined the type material of both taxa and said (in litt.) that there is little to distinguish them.
| DISTRICT | References |
| Belize, Belize | 1 |
| Cayo, Belize | 1 |
| Toledo, Belize | 1 |
| Administrative Unit | Occurrence | Abundance | Temporal | References |
| Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (Private) | 1 | |||
| Bladen Nature Reserve | 1 | |||
| Columbia River Forest Reserve | 1 | |||
| Columbia River Forest Reserve | Unknown | Unknown, insufficient data | Unknown, insufficient data | 3 |
| QUAD Distribution | References |
| 17 15' to 17 30'; 88 30' to 88 45' | 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* Currently known only from Gloria Spring in the Columbia River Forest in the southern Maya Mountains.
| Pictures | |
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
Life History Narrative
3* The Mountain fringe-limbed frog is an inhabitant of the Subtropical Evergreen Forest formation, where a single individual was found on a palm frond about 10 ft (3.3 m) above ground at night. Elsewhere in its range it has been found in arboreal bromeliads, and on low branches and logs. Nothing is known regarding vocalizations in this species. Nothing is known regarding the breeding biology of this species, but the closely related Hyla salvaje from Honduras is known to deposit its eggs in water-filled tree cavities, where the eggs and tadpoles appear to be guarded by the males. The tadpoles apparently feed on eggs of their own species. This recently described species is known only from Gloria Spring in the Columbia River Forest Reserve. This small area in the southwest corner of the Maya Mountains exhibits a close relationship to the montane areas of nearby Guatemala and Honduras, and appears to be unique for Belize. The future of Hyla minera and the rest of this montane fauna and flora in Belize rests with the protection of this unique habitat.
Life History References
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 Yucat n Peninsula. Comstock Publishing Associates. Ithaca. 3 Meyer, J.R. and C.F. Foster. 1996. A Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Belize. pp. 56-57.