| Species ID | 020180 |
| Name | Glass frog |
| Other Common Names | Fleischmann'sýglass frog |
| Category | 02 Amphibians |
| Phylum | |
| Subphylum | |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Subclass | |
| Suborder | |
| Family | Centrolenidae |
| Genus | Hyalinobatrachium |
| Species | fleischmanni |
| Subspecies | |
| References | 2 |
| Scientific Synonyms | Hylella fleischmanni, Boettger, 1893, Centrolenella fleischmanni, Boettger, 1893 |
4* Until recently, this frog was put in the genus Centrolenella, which is now considered to be a synonym of Hyalinobatrachium. 3* Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni was placed in the genus Centrolenella until Ruiz-Carranza and Lynch (1991) erected a new genus on the basis of their cladistic analysis of morphological characters. Hyalinobatrachium contains H. fleischmanni and 23 other species formerly placed in Centrolenella. The name C. viridissima has often been applied to this form in Mexico. Starrett and Savage (1973:64) could find no basis for separating C. viridissima from C. fleischmanni, however, and they applied the latter name to the frogs in Mexico, including those in the Yucat n Peninsula.
| DISTRICT | References |
| Toledo, Belize | 1 |
| Cayo, Belize | 2 |
| Stann Creek, Belize | 2 |
| Administrative Unit | Occurrence | Abundance | Temporal | References |
| Private land, see comments | Heard | Dry season (Jan-May) | 1 | |
| Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve | 1 | |||
| Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | 1 | |||
| Bladen Nature Reserve | 1 |
| QUAD Distribution | References |
| 17 00' to 17 15'; 88 45' to 89 00' | 1 |
| 16 45' to 17 00'; 88 45' to 89 00' | 1 |
| 16 45' to 17 00'; 88 15' to 88 30' | 1 |
| 16 30' to 16 45'; 88 45' to 89 00' | 1 |
| 15 50' to 16 00'; 88 50' to 89 15' | 1 |
Comments on Distribution
4* Know from about 200 to 1,600 ft (67 to 560 m) in elevation in the Cayo, Belize, and Toledo Districts, but probably also found in Stann Creek District. Presumably occurs at higher elevations in these districts. 3* In the Yucat n Peninsula the species occurs discontinuously in Belize, El Peten, and northern Chiapas.
| Pictures | |
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
Life History Narrative
3* These tiny, delicate frogs are restricted to the immediate vicinity of swift-flowing streams, at least during the breeding season, when they are most likely to be encountered. They are common in suitable habitat, but this is limited in the Yucat n Peninsula. Except for the information recorded by Duellmen and Tulecke (1960), little is known of the biology in southeastern Mexico and northern Central America. The species has been the subject of several studies in lower Central America, however (Clark, 1981; B. J. Greer and Wells, 1980; Hayes, 1991; Jacobson, 1985), and it is from these that the following summary is mostly derived. Through most the rainy season, males vocalize from the undersides of leaves in vegetation overhanging water. The males are territorial, and male-male aggression sometimes escalates to include physical grappling (McDiarmid and Adler, 1974:75). The females approach calling males and initiate amplexus, which is axillary. Clutches of about 25 to 30 pale green eggs are deposited on the undersurfaces of leaves. At night males periodically attend their egg clutches and hydrate the eggs by ventral brooding (Hayes, 1991). Clutches deprived of their attendant males experience increased mortality from dessication (Hayes, 1991). Unlike many other species of frogs, H. fleischmanni larvae undergo initial development within the egg. Hatching typically occurs during a rain, and the larvae fall directly into the water, where they complete metamorphosis after about nine months. The larvae of a drosophilid fly infest the gelatinous egg masses of this species and feed on the developing frog embryos, thereby decreasing embryonic survival (Villa, 1977, 1984). 4* It is found in Evergreen Broadleaf Forest and Mountain Pine Ridge, and possibly the Subtropical Evergreen Forest formations. In the Mountain Pine Ridge, they are confined to the broadleaf forests that border the streams through the pine forests. Frequently encountered along clear streams where they breed, Mexican glass frogs probably also inhabit epiphytes, such as bromeliads, in trees away from the streams in the more humid situations. Although successful breeding requires the presence of water in the streams, individuals may sometimes be found calling along dry streambeds in apparent anticipation of rains and ensuing water in the streams. They are nocturnal, and the call of the males is a bird-like "peep," usually vocalized in a chorus of many males along a stream.
Life History References
3, 4
| References/Result | Reference Numbers |
1 Matola, S., 1990. The Dolores Expedition, January 27 - February 3, 1990. Unpublished report. 2 Meerman, J., 1994. Summary of Herpetofauna Distributions in Belize. Report to National Protected Areas Management Project. 3 Lee, Julian C. 1996. The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Yucat n 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. 42-43.