Cystignathidae 



Legs and arms slender. Fingers and toes long and slender. Two 

 sole tubercles, the outer nearly as large as the inner. Conspic- 

 uous smaller tubercles on sole and under joints. Ends of fingers 

 and toes blunt, with T-shaped disks. (See Fig. 186 to 188.) 

 Range: Found at Helotes, Texas (near San Antonio). 



This smooth frog-like batrachian attains a surprisingly large 

 size for one so delicately built. The arms and legs are peculiarly 

 slender, and look out of proportion when seen on a frog three and 

 a half inches long. 



In fact, Litbodytes latrans is a very curious-looking creature. 

 It rests on hands and feet only, the tarsus and other parts of the 

 legs as well as the body being kept elevated some distance above 

 the ground. If its tracks could be seen, they would show im- 

 pressions of the soles and long toes, of the palms and long fingers 

 only. It moves about slowly and seriously in this stilted fashion, 

 a grotesque little creature indeed. Its grotesqueness is enhanced 

 by the transversely elongated spots of the back, set in their light 

 pink back- ground like two staring eyes. 



This species lives in fissures of the limestone cliffs along 

 the borders of the first plateau region of Texas. The method 

 of proceeding with body elevated, instead of dragged on the 

 ground, is perhaps correlated with its habit of living among the 

 limestone rocks. 



It is said to be very noisy after rains. The cry reminds one 

 of a dog's bark, and when several are calling, the noise produced 

 is loud enough to make the rocks resound. 



LITHODYTES RICORDII, DUM. AND BIBR. 



IDENTIFICATION CHARACTERISTICS 



Colour: " Reddish brown. The loreal region, a band between 

 the eyes, one above the tympanum, and some dorsal spots, darker. 

 Beneath, light brownish." 



Measurements: Size small, i. e. length little over one inch. 

 Head longer than broad. Leg measurement to heel equals body 

 measurement forward to the eye. 



Structure: Skin smooth above and below. Sides roughened. 



164 



