Narrowmouth Toads of Zihuatanejo

SUBFAMILY GASTROPHRYNINAE

• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

• Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

• Amphibians (Class Amphibia)

• Frogs and Toads (Order Anura)

• Narrowmouth Toads (Family Microhylidae)

• Subfamily Gastrophryninae

​

The subfamily Gastrophryninae is a diverse group of narrow-mouthed frogs within the family Microhylidae that occurs throughout the Americas, from the southern United States through Central America and into South America. Members of this subfamily are generally small, stout-bodied frogs with short limbs, pointed or narrow heads, and a distinctive narrow mouth adapted for feeding on ants, termites, and other small arthropods. Many species spend much of their lives hidden beneath leaf litter, in loose soil, under logs, or in burrows, emerging primarily during rainy periods to feed and breed. Their coloration is often brown, grey, or reddish with patterns that provide excellent camouflage on the forest floor.