Colombian four-eyed frog

Colombian four-eyed frog
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Leptodactylidae
Genus:	Pleurodema
Species:	P. brachyops
Binomial name
Pleurodema brachyops (Cope, 1869)

The Colombian four-eyed frog (Pleurodema brachyops; in Spanish: sapito lipon) is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is found in an area stretching from Guyana and northern Brazil (Roraima state) through Venezuela (including Isla Margarita) and Colombia into Panama as well as the Netherlands Antilles.^[2]

The common name "four-eyed frog" refers to two inguinal poison glands that resemble eyes.^[3] When threatened, the frog lowers its head and raises its rear. When the frog adopts this posture, the poison glands are also raised toward the predator. The predator may also confuse the frog's raised posterior for the head of a larger animal.^[4]

The natural habitat of the Colombian four-eyed frog is open savanna and grassland. It is a very common species. While these frogs use ephemeral or permanent small water pools for breeding, they can be found far from water. During the dry season, they hide in the soil and emerge when the rains start.^[1]

References

1. Enrique La Marca, Frank Solís, Roberto Ibáñez, César Jaramillo, Querube Fuenmayor, Robert Reynolds, Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues, Abraham Mijares, Ross MacCulloch (2010). "Pleurodema brachyops". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T57283A11599287. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-2.RLTS.T57283A11599287.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
2. Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Pleurodema brachyops (Cope, 1869)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
3. "Species profile: four-eyed frog". Conservacion Patagonic. 2012-11-16. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
4. Duellman, William E. (1994). Biology of Amphibians. Baltimore: JHU Press. p. 670. ISBN 9780801847806.