Common Mexican tree frog

The common Mexican tree frog (Smilisca baudinii) is a nocturnal species of tree frog whose native range extends from the Sonoran Desert and the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas^[2] south to Costa Rica. Common names include Mexican tree frog, Baudin's tree frog and Van Vliet's frog. They are usually found within lightly forested areas near permanent sources of water.

Common Mexican tree frog
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Hylidae
Genus:	Smilisca
Species:	S. baudinii
Binomial name
Smilisca baudinii Duméril & Bibron, 1841
Synonyms
Hyla baudinii Hyla vanvlietii Hyla vociferans Hyla muricolor Smilisca daulinia Hyla beltrani Hyla manisorum

Description

Mexican Treefrog (Smilisca baudinii), Municipality of Abasolo, Tamaulipas, Mexico (18 May 2002).

Mexican Treefrog (Smilisca baudinii), Gómez Farías, Municipality of Gómez Farías, Tamaulipas, Mexico (8 August 2004).

The common Mexican tree frog is generally brown-grey in color, with darker brown, irregular blotching. Its underside is typically a lighter grey or white. Its legs have distinctive dark banding.

Taxonomy

The species has numerous synonymous classifications due to disjunct populations, and was mistakenly redescribed on several occasions by field researchers.

Conservation

The common Mexican tree frog is considered to be a threatened species in the US state of Texas.^[3] It has only been reported in a few counties, and no estimates of its actual population count have been made.