Calyptocephalella

Calyptocephalella
Temporal range: Maastrichtian–Recent
Calyptocephalella gayi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Calyptocephalellidae
Genus: Calyptocephalella
Strand, 1928
Species:
C. gayi
Binomial name
Calyptocephalella gayi
(Duméril & Bibron, 1841)
Range in red
Synonyms
  • Caudiverba caudiverba

Calyptocephalella is a genus of frogs in the family Calyptocephalellidae. It is represented by a single living species, Calyptocephalella gayi, commonly known as the helmeted water toad, Chilean helmeted bull frog, or wide-mouthed toad. Additionally, there are a few extinct species that are only known from Late Cretaceous and Paleogene fossil remains from Patagonia in South America and the Antarctic Peninsula (at times when it was warmer and wetter).[2][3] The helmeted water toad living today is aquatic to semi-aquatic, and found in deep ponds and reservoirs in central Chile and possibly adjacent west-central Argentina.[1][4]

This very large toad typically weighs up to 0.5–1 kg (1.1–2.2 lb), but sometimes considerably more. It is the world's second largest frog after the goliath frog.[5] It is threatened by capture for human consumption, habitat loss, pollution, introduced species and the disease chytridiomycosis. It is often kept in herpetoculture, mostly locally where it is farmed for food, but also in other countries as a pet.[1]

  1. ^ a b c IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2019). "Calyptocephalella gayi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T4055A85633603. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T4055A85633603.en. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  2. ^ Gómez, R.O.; A.M. Báez; P. Muzzopappa (2011). "A new helmeted frog (Anura: Calyptocephalellidae) from Eocene subtropical lake in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 31 (1): 50–59. doi:10.1080/02724634.2011.539654. hdl:11336/98850. S2CID 86761696.
  3. ^ Mörs, T.; M. Reguero; D. Vasilyan (2020). "First fossil frog from Antarctica: implications for Eocene high latitude climate conditions and Gondwanan cosmopolitanism of Australobatrachia". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): 5051. Bibcode:2020NatSR..10.5051M. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-61973-5. PMC 7181706. PMID 32327670.
  4. ^ AmphibiaWeb: Calyptocephalella gayi. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  5. ^ Macle, Adam (January 22, 2017). "10 Largest Frogs and Toads in the World". Gone Froggin. Retrieved 29 May 2021.