Excerpts from Jim Conrad's
Naturalist Newsletter

from the February 4, 2006 Newsletter Written at Hacienda San Juan Lizárraga one kilometer east of Telchac Pueblo, Yucatán, MÉXICO and issued from Hotel Reef Yucatan 13 kms to the north
VEINED TREEFROGS

In one of the hurricane-deroofed warehouses there's a room with a few old 20-liter water jugs, now shattered and useless. The other day I was searching among them for a flowerpot when something inside one of them moved. Eight treefrogs were inside the jug, along with about a quarter of a cup of black, mosquito-larva-filled water. That's them below:

TRACHYCEPHALUS VERMICULATUS

The picture shows four of the eight frogs. They're all treefrogs, which is clear from the pads on their toes and their ability to stick to the jug's sides. The treefrog at the upper right is our most common species, Baudin's Treefrog, Smilisca baudinii.

UPDATE: In 2024 I see that the genus Phrynohyas has been sunk into the genus Trachycephalus, in the process changing our frog's name to Trachycephalus typhonius. Moreover, it appears that that species doesn't occur much or at all in our area, being more in Central America. The very similar TRACHYCEPHALUS VERMICULATUS, the Vermiculated Tree Frog, does frequently occur in our area, and that's the name I'm going with now.

The other three are, I THINK, are Milky Treefrogs, PHRYNOHYAS VENULOSA (*see update). I'm not quite sure because their colors and patterns depart a good bit from what's shown in my herp book. Mainly, the heads of these jug frogs are all gold colored, while the gold on the heads of the frogs pictured in the book have much less gold. However, as a Milky Treefrog should, my jug frogs have toad-like warts. That makes me 80% sure.


Mexican Treefrog, SMILISCA BAUDINII

from the March 25, 2012 Newsletter issued from Hacienda Chichen Resort beside Chichén Itzá Ruins; limestone bedrock; elevation ~39m (~128ft), N20.675°, W88.569°; central Yucatán state, MÉXICO
VERMICULATED TREEFROG AGAIN

Beside an orchard about a 15-minute walk into the scrub there's a water tank where for the last couple of years usually one or more Yucatán Casqueheaded Treefrogs could be found. Last Monday when I peeped into the tank to check on the Casqueheads they were gone but someone unexpected was there, as shown above. A different shot is below:

TRACHYCEPHALUS VERMICULATUS

We've seen this before {above observation), the Vermiculated Treefrog, Trachycephalus vermiculatus.