| Species ID | 020160 |
| Name | Tungara frog |
| Other Common Names | |
| Category | 02 Amphibians |
| Phylum | |
| Subphylum | |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Subclass | |
| Suborder | |
| Family | Leptodactylidae |
| Genus | Physalaemus |
| Species | pustulosus |
| Subspecies | |
| References | 2 |
| Scientific Synonyms | Paludicola pustulosa Cope, 1864 |
2* This species was long placed in the genus Engystomops, and much of the earlier literature on the species will be found under that name. Physalaemus pustulosus was reviewed by Duellman and Cannatella (1984) as part of their review of the pustulosus group.
| DISTRICT | References |
| Orange Walk, Belize | 1 |
| Administrative Unit | Occurrence | Abundance | Temporal | References |
| Government land | 1 | |||
| Rio Bravo Conservation Area | 1 |
| QUAD Distribution | References |
| 18 00' to 18 15'; 88 30' to 88 45' | 1 |
| 17 45' to 18 00'; 89 00' to 89 15' | 1 |
Comments on Distribution
3* In Belize, this species is known only from the northern half of the country, particularly the Orange Walk District between the Northern Highway and the Guatemalan border. Localities range from about 100 to 700 ft (33 to 233 m) in elevation. 2* Occurs in northern Belize.
| Pictures | |
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
Life History Narrative
2*This species, which is moderately common in the Yucatan Peninsula, has been the subject of intensive study in Panama (Rand and Ryan, 1981; Ryan, 1985). Throughout its range P. pustulosus is primarily an inhabitant of savannas and deciduous forests. It is terrestrial, nocturnal, and rarely encountered except at the breeding congregations that form during the rainy season. Breeding can occur in almost any temporary body of water, including roadside ditches, flooded pastures, small puddles, and even in hoofprints made by cattle and horses. Males typically call from the surface of the water. The females approach the calling males, which initiate amplexus. Amplexus is axillary, and 200 to 300 eggs are deposited in a foam nest in shallow water that is formed when the amplectant male kicks the egg jelly into a foam with his hind legs (Heyer and Rand, 1977). The foam nest affords protection against both desiccation (Heyer, 1969b) and predation. Ryan (1985:47) reported predation by tadpoles of Agalychnis callidryas on P. pustulosus tadpoles whose nest had been broken apart by heavy rain. Downie (1988, 1990) showed experimentally that the foam protects eggs from drying and that it may protect eggs from predation by invertebrates and tadpoles of other species. The females may produce multiple clutches during the breeding season (Ryan, 1983:413). Females in captivity with unlimited food produced clutches at intervals of about six weeks (Davidson and Hough, 1969). 3* The common name "tungara frog," utilized in parts of the species' range, is an approximation of the combined "whine" and "chuck" notes of calling males. The tungara frog appears to be restricted to the Semi-evergreen Seasonal Forest formation in Belize, where it is generally found in semi-open and disturbed situations. It may also inhabit the Savanna formation, but its presence there has yet to be documented. They are primarily nocturnal, although some may be active on the forest floor in the rainy season. In some parts of the range, the tungara frog may aestivate during the dry season, and it is possible that this behavior may also occur in Belize.
Life History References
3, 2
| 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. 34-35.