Smoky Jungle Frog

ANIMAL:
Smoky Jungle Frog Leptodactylus pentadactylus

Type of Animal:
Frog

Habitat:
Primary lowland forests/edges, secondary lowland forests/edges, tropical/subtropical moist forest, tropical/subtropical premontane/lower montane/montane forests/edges, former forests, streams, temporary ponds, swamps, dry forest, forests near swamps/slow-flowing streams, riverbanks, marshes, rivers, aquaculture ponds

Location(s):
Ranges from Costa Rica to N South America

Appearance:
Large robust frogs, large head w/ acutely rounded snout & very prominent tympanum, smooth dorsum/venter skin, slender-tipped fingers/toes, tan to reddish-brown dorsum w/ broad reddish-brown marks on body between yellowish tan dorsolateral folds, dorsal surfaces of limbs tan to reddish-brown w/ narrow transverse brown bars, creamy venter w/ bold dark brown to black mottling, bronze iris, breeding males have very swollen arms, froglets brighter than adults

Food/Diet:
Arthropods/arthropod larvae, worms, other amphibians (including smaller members of own species), lizards, snakes, birds, eggs, small mammals, vegetation (only tadpoles eat vegetation), algae (only tadpoles eat algae)

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos, aquariums, & herpetoculture

Lifestyle:
Solitary or small harems of a male w/ 1-3 females.

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young: Tadpole
Group: Army
 
Weight:
Male: 9 oz
Female: 12 oz
 
Gestation:
3 days

Life Span:
15 years

Body Length:
Male: 7.1 in
Female: 6.9 in
Young: 3.3 in

Main predators of adults are snakes, crocodilians, & coatis. Ephydrid flies eat eggs & lay own eggs in clutches of this species. Larger individuals prey on smaller individuals.
 
Active at night (nocturnal).
 
Males make loud whistling/hooting calls repeated at 5-10 second intervals.
 
Males grasp females by axillary amplexus, where male clasps behind female’s forelimbs.
 
After mating, as many as 1,000 eggs deposited in large foam nests by backward/forward motions of male’s hind limbs mixing air/water/eggs/secretions into nest, usually deposited in depressions adjacent to water.
 
Tadpoles only stay in tadpole stage for 1st month of life.
 
They’re ambush predators.
 
Males use spikes near thumbs & 2 on chest for clashes w/ other males & for grasping females during mating.
 
Also known as Slender-Fingered Bladder Frog & South American Bullfrog.

Fun Fact(s):
Though it’s toxic, it’s often eaten due to huge legs & called “chicken of the jungle.”
 
They can last up to 6.5 days w/o water.
 
Known as huwa in Kwaza language spoken in Brazilian state of Rondonia.
 
If picked up/threatened, they’ll secrete toxin (leptodactylin). If in closed room w/ someone handling frog, it may vaporize toxins causing sneezing, eye swelling, & runny nose. People can get rashes/stings from touching them. They’ll also inflate lungs & elevate body on all 4s. Often emit high-pitched scream when grasped.

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