Callulops robustus

SUBFAMILY

Asterophryinae

TAXONOMY

Mantophryne robusta Boulenger, 1898, Saint Aignan island, south of Fergusson island, British New Guinea (Misima Island, Louisiade Archipelago, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea).

OTHER COMMON NAMES

None known.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

This is a rather toadlike species, with a relatively broad head and body, large eyes, and short legs. At a maximum body length of almost 3 in (73 mm), it is one of the larger microhylids. Many individuals are dark purplish brown dorsally with a somewhat darker facial region. Small white spots may be present laterally on the body. A variant coloring is light reddish brown all over. These different colors may represent geographic variation.

DISTRIBUTION

Boulenger's callulops frog has a wide distribution in New Guinea, from the Birds Head peninsula at the western tip of the island to islands off the eastern end. It occurs from nearly sea level to an elevation of at least 4,800 ft (1,460 m).

HABITAT

The species lives in rainforest regions, though not necessarily primary forest.

BEHAVIOR

The frogs are terrestrial, sheltering in burrows up to 3 ft (1 m) in length, which probably are appropriated by the frogs rather than constructed by them.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Nothing is recorded.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Males call from the entrances to burrows, though they sometimes leave the burrows to call. A male frog was found sitting on a clutch of 17 eggs about 0.25 in (7 mm) in diameter in a decaying tree stump. The tails of the well-developed embryos were heavily vascularized and probably served for respiration, because the embryos had no gills.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not threatened.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

None known.