Craugastoridae
Craugastoridae
Craugastoridae is a highly diverse group , being one of the most commonly found in rainforest areas . There are 187 species in Peru , 27 in the Madre de Dios department and 41 in the Manu area of which we include 25 species in this guide . Most of the species are in the Pristimantis genus , a group of very similar species . They are brown to green , have conical toe pads , and generally have marks in belly , groin and back of the thighs which help to identify between species . Oreobates are medium-sized and are characterized by the lack of expanded toe pads and by their fairly big heads with protruding eyes . Noblella , Bryophryne and Psycrophrynella species are small brown frogs difficult to identify , therefore attention is required in the small details , such as condition of the tympanum , toe pad shape and length of the fingers .
The family members breed through direct development , meaning there is no tadpole phase in their development and froglets hatch directly from the eggs laid within the leaf litter . Pristimantis species are generally semiarboreal , spending the day in the leaf litter and foraging at night in low vegetation foraging . The rest of members of the family are terrestrial . The group is more diverse in montane areas , and especially the genus Noblella , Bryophryne and Psycrophrynella are almost restricted to high altitude areas : elfin forest and puna grasslands . It is a group commonly used as indicators of type and quality of habitat .
Pristimantis sp4