Tadpoles of the United States and Canada: A Tutorial and Key

Ronald Altig¹, Roy W. McDiarmid², Kimberly A. Nichols³ and Paul C. Ustach⁴

DIVISION 5: MICROHYLIDAE

KEY: FAMILIES	KEY: BUFONIDAE	KEY: RANIDAE
KEY: HYLIDAE	KEY: PELOBATIDAE	TUTORIAL

SECTION 1. ORAL APPARATUS AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-A and 2-A - [5] -

A.	medial margins of oral flaps divergent and with smooth edges; temporary pools during summer; widespread east and west of Mississippi River

Gastrophryne - Section 2

B.	medial margins of oral flaps convergent and papillate or crenulate; temporary pools with seasonal rains; extreme southern Texas (sympatric: Gastrophryne olivacea and Rhinophrynus dorsalis)

Hypopachus variolosus [B]

SECTION 2. COLORATION AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-A and 2-A; Division 5, Section 1-A - medial margins of oral flaps divergent and with smooth edges; west of Mississippi River - [3] -

A.

dorsum mostly black in life (lighter at night) and preservative, never gray or brassy; belly dark with pale blotches and mottling; lateral pale tail stripe bright and distinct at least basally; temporary lentic sites formed by seasonal rains; eastern Texas north to central Missouri (sympatric: Gastrophryne olivacea*)

Gastrophryne carolinensis (part) [A]

B.

dorsum olive-gray to brown to brassy caused by profuse iridophore pigmentation in life; venter white or coppery in life; lateral tail stripe faint to absent; temporary lentic sites formed by seasonal rains; most of Nebraska south to southern Texas plus south-central Arizona (sympatric: Gastrophryne carolinensis* and Rhinophrynus dorsalis)

Gastrophryne olivacea [B]

Back to Division 1: Families