Web-footed Coqui
Encyclopedia
The Web-footed Coqui also known as Karl's Robber Frog is a possible extinct Puerto Rican frog species from the coquí
(Eleutherodactylus) genus.
in 1931 and was named after herpetologist Karl Patterson Schmidt
. It is one of the largest coquí species and the second largest frog (behind Bufo marinus) on Puerto Rico
with a length of approximately 80 mm for females. There is little information about its ecology and life history. It is nocturnal. Their call is loud and sonorous. The eggs are laid in clefts or on rocks.
The semi-aquatic web-footed coquí belonged to the few coquí species which had membranes between the toes. But it was the only species which was fully webbed.
The web-footed coquí was endemic to the mountain streams and waterfalls in the Caribbean National Forest
and El Verde cloud forest in the southeastern Puerto Rico. It was last observed in 1974 and is possibly extinct due to the fungal disease Chytridiomycosis
.
Coquí
The Common Coquí or Coquí is a frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus genus of the Leptodactylidae family. The species is named for the loud sound the males make at night. This sound serves two purposes...
(Eleutherodactylus) genus.
Description
It was first described by Chapman GrantChapman Grant
Chapman Grant was an American herpetologist, historian, and publisher. He was the last living grandson of United States President Ulysses S. Grant...
in 1931 and was named after herpetologist Karl Patterson Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
. It is one of the largest coquí species and the second largest frog (behind Bufo marinus) on Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
with a length of approximately 80 mm for females. There is little information about its ecology and life history. It is nocturnal. Their call is loud and sonorous. The eggs are laid in clefts or on rocks.
The semi-aquatic web-footed coquí belonged to the few coquí species which had membranes between the toes. But it was the only species which was fully webbed.
The web-footed coquí was endemic to the mountain streams and waterfalls in the Caribbean National Forest
Caribbean National Forest
El Yunque National Forest, formerly known as the Luquillo National Forest, and the Caribbean National Forest, is a forest located in northeastern Puerto Rico. It is the only tropical rain forest in the United States...
and El Verde cloud forest in the southeastern Puerto Rico. It was last observed in 1974 and is possibly extinct due to the fungal disease Chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis is an infectious disease of amphibians, caused by the chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a non-hyphal zoosporic fungus. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or even extinctions of amphibian species in western North America, Central America, South...
.
See also
- Fauna of Puerto RicoFauna of Puerto RicoThe fauna of Puerto Rico is similar to other island archipelago faunas, with high endemism, and low, skewed taxonomic diversity. Bats are the only extant native terrestrial mammals in Puerto Rico. All other terrestrial mammals in the area were introduced by humans, and include species such as cats,...
- List of amphibians and reptiles of Puerto Rico