Hypsiboas albopunctatus Spix 1824

Diagnosis Hypsiboas albopunctatus differs from the other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: (1) modal webbing formula of the hand and the foot, (2) snout acuminate, clearly protruding beyond the mandible, (3) upper lip pale brown, (4) anal region dark brown with white supra-anal stripe, (5) flanks and posterior surfaces of thighs brown with scattrered with spots, (6) ventral edge nasal unnotched, (7) frontoparietals not articulating medially, and (8) otic plate of squamosal slightly overlapping a bony crista parotica.

Central and southeastern Brasil, eastern Paraguay, eastern Bolivia, and northeastern portions of Argentina.

Adult morphology Medium-sized species. The head is triangular in outline, always longer than wide. The snout is moderately long and acuminate in dorsal view, whereas in lateral view, it is acuminate and protrudes beyond the mandible to form an angle of 45 degrees over the mandible. The canthus rostralis is rounded and distinct, the loreal region is slightly concave, and the internarial region is slightly convex. The eyes are large, approximately twice the diameter of the tympanum. The tympanum is separated from the eye by a distance approximately one half the diameter of the tympanum. The upper arm is slender; the forearm is slender to slightly robust with a weakly developed dermal fold extending from the elbow to the base of the disc of the 4th finger, The fingers are moderately long, fringed, and have small, round terminal discs. The distal subarticular tubercles are large, single, oval, and suhconical, whereas the proximal subarticular tubercles are more rounded and smaller. Small, subconical supernumerary tubercles are present on the proximal portions of the digits. The palmar tubercle is bifid and slightly to moderately developed. Hand webbing. The hind limbs are long and slender. A weak tarsal fold extends from the heel to the base of the inner metatarsal tubercle. The inner metatarsal tubercle is large, oval, relatively flat, and visible dorsally. The proximal subarticular tubercles are much smaller than the distal ones. Small supernumerary tubercles are present on the proximal segments of the toes; the tubercles are round and less distinct than those of the hand. Foot webbing. The tongue is lanceolate and slightly notched anteriorly. Coloration in life: Iris bronze, some individuals with a blue ring around the iris. Lip stripe cream or yellow; canthal stripe dark brown: dorsum tan or brown, sometimes with enamel yellow dots; flanks with bright yellow bars or spots on a light purple pound color. Throath yellow: belly dirty yellow: undersides of hind legs with a yellow-orange wash. Posterior surface of thighs with discrete, distinct brighr yellow or orange-yellow spots on a lavender to lavender-brown field. Flank and posterior thigh patterns definitely flash color patterned. Coloration in preservative: dorsal surfaces of the body and of the fore- and hindlimbs is pale brown. Transverse, darker brown stripes extend across the dorsum of the body, between the eyes, and sometimes even anterior to the eyes. However, these stripes may be fused to one another forming an extensive reticulation, or they may be broken into elongate, transverse, and relatively independent spots. A dark brown canthal stripe begins on the snout, and it continues as a postorbital stripe through the tympanum to a point above the insertion of the forelimbs. The upper and lower lips are pale brown. Dark brown bars also are present on the dorsal surfaces of the thigh and shank. A white supra-anal stripe is accentuated by a dark brown anal region. A creamy white line extends from the heel along the outer edge of the tarsus and fifth toe. Ventral to this white line, the coloration is dark brown. The posterior surface of the thighs is dark brown also, and has creamy white spots that range from well-defined to a bold reticulate pattern. The same pattern of color variation exists on the flanks. The ventral surfaces are uniformly cream with a brownish throat and a few brown spots in the pectoral region of some specimens. Larval morphology Tadpoles have an elliptical body which is as deep as wide. The snout is rounded in dorsal and lateral views. The top of the head is slightly convex. In lateral view, the ventral contour of the body is piano-convex. The nostrils are oval, depressed, and dorsal; their apertures are visible in lateral view. The nostrils have a moderately large, medial, triangular dermal flap that partially occludes the aperture. The internarial width is equal to that of the interorbital region and the oral disc. The eyes are dorsolateral and directed laterally. The spiracle is lateral, long, tubelike, and sinistral. The spiracular opening lies in the posterior third of the body, and is raised from the surface of the body. The cloacal tube is moderately long and dextral to the caudal fin, with which it is fused. The anterior terminus of the dorsal fin is at the base of the tail. The anterior end of the ventral fin also lies at the base of the tail, but its anterior part is hidden by the cloacal tube. The dorsal fin is deeper than the ventral fin. The margin of the ventral fin is subparallel to the axis of the tail, whereas the margin of the dorsal fin is curved uniformly. The longitudinal axis of the tail is straight. The caudal musculature is slender and tapers gradually to the posterior end of the tail. At the midpoint of the tail, the depth of the caudal musculature is equal to the depth of the dorsal fin and greater than that of the ventral fin. The tip of the tail is acute. The mouth is anteroventral and directed ventrally. The mouth has a pair of large ventrolateral folds. A small, medial portion of the upper lip lacks papillae; elsewhere marginal papillae are present in a single row along the border of the mouth. A few additional submarginal papillae are present in the ventrolateral folds. The upper beak is moderately deep and has blunt serrations; is laterally convex, paramedially concave, and medially convex; and is strongly pigmented. The lower beak is shallow, concave, pigmented, and uniformly serrated. Two upper and three lower rows of denticles are present. The first upper row is continuous and shorter than the second row, which is narrowly interrupted medially. The first and second lower rows are of equal length, and the first row is interrupted medially. The third lower row is continuous and the shortest of the lower rows. Coloration in preservative: the snout and dorsal surfaces of body are dark brown, whereas the sides and ventral region are pale brown. The caudal musculature is pale cream and the dorsal edge is dark brown. The dorsal and posterior halves of the ventral fin are strongly pigmented with brown spots; the anterior half is slightly pigmented and almost transparent. Small, dark brown dots are scattered over the dorsal and dorsolateral surfaces. Color in life: body deep tan with dark spots on dorsum and white flecks on belly; tail musculature with superior half red brown, inferior grayish and a longitudinal median blackish stripe on first third; fins red brown marbled.

LC. Least Concern.