Pipa (frog)

Suriname toads are members of the frog genus Pipa, within the family Pipidae.^[1][2][3] They are native to northern South America and extreme southern Central America (Panama).^[1] Like other pipids, these frogs are almost exclusively aquatic.

Pipa
Gray Pipa pipa under driftwood
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Pipidae
Genus:	Pipa Laurenti, 1768
Type species
Pipa pipa Linnaeus, 1758
Species
Pipa arrabali Pipa aspera Pipa carvalhoi Pipa myersi Pipa parva Pipa pipa Pipa snethlageae

Species

There are seven recognized species:^[1][2]

• Pipa arrabali Izecksohn, 1976 – Arrabal's Surinam toad
• Pipa aspera Müller, 1924 – Albina Surinam toad
• Pipa carvalhoi (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1937) – Carvalho's Surinam toad
• Pipa myersi Trueb, 1984 – Myers' Surinam toad
• Pipa parva Ruthven and Gaige, 1923 – Sabana Surinam toad
• Pipa pipa (Linnaeus, 1758) – Surinam toad
• Pipa snethlageae Müller, 1914 – Utinga Surinam toad

In addition, Pipa verrucosa Wiegmann, 1832 is included here incertae sedis.^[1]

Ecology and behavior

Life cycle

During reproduction the female Pipa frog will rise to the surface of the water with the male and after a series of movements the male fertilizes the eggs of the female. The male then places the eggs on the females back with its feet. The female Pipa frog will then incubate the eggs in the dorsal (its back). The tadpoles then develop in the dorsal of the female.