Craugastor pygmaeus

Craugastor pygmaeus, also known as the pigmy free-fingered frog or the pigmy robber frog, is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is found in western Guatemala and southern Mexico from southern Sinaloa to Chiapas.^[1][2]

Craugastor pygmaeus
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Craugastoridae
Genus:	Craugastor
Species:	C. pygmaeus
Binomial name
Craugastor pygmaeus (Taylor, 1937)
Synonyms[2]
Eleutherodactylus pygmaeus Taylor, 1937 "1936" Microbatrachylus albolabris Taylor, 1940 "1939" Microbatrachylus pygmaeus (Taylor, 1937) Microbatrachylus minimus Taylor, 1940 "1939" Microbatrachylus imitator Taylor, 1942

Craugastor pygmaeus shows strong color polymorphism.^[3] Several species have been described and later synonymized with this species,^[2][3] but it is in need of taxonomic revision and probably represents a complex of at least five species.^[1]

Habitat and conservation

Craugastor pygmaeus occurs in a great variety of habitats, from lowland forests to montane pine and pine-oak forests and cloud forests at elevations of 400–2,000 m (1,300–6,600 ft) above sea level. It can tolerate some habitat modification as long as shade remains, such as coffee plantations. Development is direct^[1] (i.e., there is no free-living larval stage^[4]).

Craugastor pygmaeus can be locally common. It can be threatened by habitat and climate change (changing precipitation patterns) leading to the disappearance of shade, humidity and leaf-litter microhabitats. Chytridiomycosis is a potential threat. It occurs in some protected areas.^[1]