Frogs of Southeastern Brazil 



Class Amphibia: Order Salientia 



The frogs of southeastern Brazil belong to two suborders of the 

 order Salientia: the suborder Procoela, which has the centrum of the 

 sacral vertebra concave anteriorly, as defined by Nicholls (1916, 

 p. 87), contains five of the six families occurring in the region; and 

 the suborder Diplasiocoela, which Nicholls defines as having the 

 centrum of the sacral vertebra convex anteriorly. This suborder is 

 represented by the family Microhylidae, a group rather easily recog- 

 nized by reason of the narrow mouth, slender head, and heavy body. 



Suborder Procoela 



Key to families of Procoela of southeastern Brazil 



a^. Arciferal (right and left halves of pectoral girdle overlapping on median 

 ventral line posteriorly and movable, one above the other). 

 6*. No intercalary cartilage between last two phalanges of fingers. 



c^ An omosternum present; maxilla usually toothed; parotoid glands usually 



absent Leptodactylidae (p. 217) 



c^. No omosternum present; maxillary usually toothless; parotoid glands 



present Bufonidae (p. 17) 



b^. An intercalary cartilage present. 



d. Astragalus and calcaneum fused into a single bone 



Centrolenidae (p. 43) 



c^. Astragalus and calcaneum not fused Hylidae (p. 44) 



a-. Firmisternal (right and left halves of pectoral girdle partly or completely 

 fused oa median line and immovable) Brachycephalidae (p. 1) 



Family Brachycephalidae 



Key to genera of Brachycephalidae of southeastern Brazil 



o'. A pair of dermal scutes on upper surface of each digit tip, latter more or less 

 dilated into adhesive disks; omosternum present, frequently bonj\ 

 6'. Toes webbed. 



c'. Maxillary teeth present; a tarsal tubercle Noblella (p. 12) 



(?. No maxillary teeth; no tarsal tubercle Dendrobates (p. 8) 



iP, Toes not webbed Phyllobates (p. 14) 



a^. No digital scutes; no omosternum. 



6'. Pectoral girdle completely fused; skin fairly smooth. 



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