Alytidae
Family of amphibians
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Alytidae are a family of primitive frogs.[2][3][4][5] Their common name is painted frogs[2] or midwife toads.[4] Most are endemic to Europe, but three species occur in northwest Africa, and a species formerly thought to be extinct is found in Israel.
| Alytidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| |
| Alytes obstetricans | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Suborder: | Archaeobatrachia |
| Family: | Alytidae Fitzinger, 1843 |
| Genera | |
|
Genus Alytes | |
 | |
| Distribution of Discoglossidae (in black) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Discoglossidae Günther, 1859 | |
This family is also known as Discoglossidae, but the older name Alytidae has priority and is now recognized by major reference works.[2][3][4][5] Some researchers, though, suggest that Alytes and Discoglossus are different enough to be treated as belonging to separate families, implying resurrection of the Discoglossidae.[2] The term "discoglossid" has also been used to refer to many primitive fossil frogs that share plesiomorphic (ancestral) similities to alytids, but that are probably not closely related.[6]
Genera and species
The family contains three extant genera, Alytes, Discoglossus, and Latonia. The first is somewhat toad-like and can often be found on land. The second is smoother and more frog-like, preferring the water.[7] The third genus was until recently considered extinct, and is represented by the recently rediscovered Hula painted frog. All of the species have pond-dwelling tadpoles.
The genera Bombina and Barbourula also used to be under this family, but have now been moved to the Bombinatoridae.[8]
Extant genera
| Image | Genus | Species |
|---|---|---|
 |
Alytes Wagler, 1830 |
|
_jeannaea.jpg) |
Discoglossus Otth, 1837 |
|
 |
Latonia Meyer, 1843 |
|
Extinct genera
Family Alytidae
- Genus †Enneabatrachus (prehistoric)[1]
- †Enneabatrachus hechti[1]
- Genus †Aralobatrachus (prehistoric)
- †Aralobatrachus robustus
- Genus †Callobatrachus (prehistoric)
- †Callobatrachus sanyanensis
- Genus †Bakonybatrachus (prehistoric)
- †Bakonybatrachus fedori
- Genus †Eodiscoglossus (prehistoric)
- †Eodiscoglossus oxoniensis
- †Eodiscoglossus santonjae
Iberian midwife toad (Alytes cisternasii)
Iberian or Portuguese painted frog (Discoglossus galganoi)
Fossil discoglossid from Miocene (†Latonia seyfriedi)
