THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

Amphibia    Anura    Microhylidae  

Sheep Frog
Hypopachus variolosus (Cope, 1866)

SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
 Although only two species are currently recognized within this genus, very strong geographic variation in coloration, call, and toe structure suggests that several species are masquerading under this species name. Given that the type locality of H. variolosus is in Costa Rica, the scientific name applied to the U.S. form is likely to change.

Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2023.04.08.23.01.40)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.41 MB

Province/State Distribution:
USA: Texas

First instance(s) of published English names:
Taylor's Toad (Hypopachus cuneus: Wright, Anna Allen, and Alex Hazen Wright. 1933. Handbook of frogs and toads. The frogs and toads of the United States and Canada Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, NY. xi+231pp.); Mexican Narrow-mouthed Toad (Hypopachus cuneus: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Brownsville Narrow-mouthed Toad (Hypopachus cuneus cuneus: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.);

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
Amphibian Species of the World
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Selected References:
1955 Davis, William B. A new sheep toad (genus Hypopachus) from Mexico. Herpetologica 11:71-72
1968 Nelson, Craig E. and H. S. Cuellar. Anatomical comparison of tadpoles of the genera Hypopachus and Gastrophryne (Microhylidae). Copeia 1968(2):423-424
1973 Nelson, Craig E. Systematics of the middle American upland populations of Hypopachus (Anura: Microhylidae). Herpetologica 29(1):6-17
1973 Nelson, Craig E. Mating calls of the Microhylinae: Descriptions and phylogenetic and ecological considerations. Herpetologica 29(2):163-176
1974 Nelson, C. E. Further studies on the systematics of Hypopachus (Anura: Microhylidae). Herpetologica 30:250–275
2005 Lannoo, Michael (Editor) Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. University fo California Press, Berkeley. 1115pp.
2013 Dodd, C. Kenneth. Frogs of the United States and Canada. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. 982pp.
2023 Dodd, C. Kenneth. Frogs of the United States and Canada. Second Edition. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. 1032pp.

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Monday 21 April 2025 13:10 CT