Elachistocleis bicolor (Guérin-Méneville, 1838) is a animal in the Microhylidae family, order Anura, kingdom Animalia. Not known to be toxic.

Photo of Elachistocleis bicolor (Guérin-Méneville, 1838) (Elachistocleis bicolor (Guérin-Méneville, 1838))
🦋 Animalia

Elachistocleis bicolor (Guérin-Méneville, 1838)

Elachistocleis bicolor (Guérin-Méneville, 1838)

Elachistocleis bicolor is a small nocturnal semi-fossorial frog native to South America that feeds mostly on ants and termites.

Family
Genus
Elachistocleis
Order
Anura
Class
Amphibia

About Elachistocleis bicolor (Guérin-Méneville, 1838)

Elachistocleis bicolor has a nocturnal, semi-fossorial lifestyle. When aestivating, individuals can be found inside ant and termite nests. Males of this species reach a snout–vent length of 23–32 mm (0.91–1.26 in), while females grow to 27–36 mm (1.1–1.4 in). The species' name refers to its distinctive color pattern, which consists of a brownish back and yellowish dorsum. Elachistocleis bicolor feeds primarily on ants and termites, with other insects making only minor contributions to its diet. A study conducted in Uruguay found that termites are a more important food source during the species' inactive season, while ants (particularly Pheidole and Solenopsis) are more important during the active season. Elachistocleis bicolor is an abundant species that inhabits seasonally flooded grasslands, as well as dry and moist forests. It can also persist in rural gardens and urban areas. Reproduction for this species occurs during the wet season, in pools that contain standing water. The species' fecundity is approximately 620 eggs, and egg count is positively correlated with female body size. The eggs of Elachistocleis bicolor float on the surface of the water.

Photo: (c) Pedro Ivo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Pedro Ivo · cc-by-nc

Taxonomy

Animalia Chordata Amphibia Anura Microhylidae Elachistocleis

More from Microhylidae

Sources: GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, NCBI Taxonomy · Disclaimer

Identify Elachistocleis bicolor (Guérin-Méneville, 1838) instantly — even offline

iNature uses on-device AI to identify plants, animals, fungi and more. No internet needed.

Download iNature — Free

Start Exploring Nature Today

Download iNature for free. 10 identifications on us. No account needed. No credit card required.

Download Free on App Store