Leptodactylus fragilis

This article is about American frog sometimes known as the white-lipped frog. For other uses, see White-lipped frog (disambiguation).

Leptodactylus fragilis, known under many common names such as the Mexican white-lipped frog, American white-lipped frog or simply white-lipped frog, is a species of leptodactylid frog. Its distribution ranges from the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States south through Mexico and Central America to Colombia and Venezuela.^[2][3] It is often—wrongly—referred to as Leptodactylus labialis (Cope, 1878) (or Leptodactylus mystaceus labialis Shreve, 1957), which is a junior synonym of Leptodactylus mystacinus.^[2]

Leptodactylus fragilis
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Leptodactylidae
Genus:	Leptodactylus
Species:	L. fragilis
Binomial name
Leptodactylus fragilis (Brocchi, 1877)
Synonyms
Cystignathus fragilis Brocchi, 1877[2]

White-lipped Frog (Leptodactylus fragilis) Municipality of Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico (12 August 2003).

Description

Leptodactylus fragilis in Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

Mexican white-lipped frogs are grey-brown in color with brown or black mottling. They have a distinctive white stripe along their upper lip which gives them their name. They grow to 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) in length.^[3]

Habitat

Mexican white-lipped frog is a widespread and common species found in a range of habitats, in savanna, grassland, semi-arid lands, and open habitats in humid and dry, lowland and montane tropical forests. It is often seen near water.^[1]

Behavior and reproduction

Mexican white-lipped frogs are nocturnal and carnivorous. During the heat of the day, they bury themselves in loose soil of roadside ditches, irrigated cropland, or grasslands, and emerge to feed in the evenings.^[1][3]