Plate 044 · female with a full pouch, on a mossy alder IdentificationFive marks on the plate
- 1Bright green spots edged dark brown on a grey-brown back.
- 2Pouch opening, a slit at the rear of the female’s back.
- 3Dark band from snout to shoulder, through the eye.
- 4Whitish flanks with dark brown dots.
- 5Adhesive toe discs on the fingertips, as in a climbing frog.
Easily confused with Rioja Tree FrogBoana riojanaNo back pouch and no green spots; lives along streams. 044 / 100 · AMPHIBIANS · HEMIPHRACTIDAEENDANGERED La Banderita Marsupial Frog
Gastrotheca gracilis
Rana marsupial · Slender Marsupial Frog
The female carries her eggs in a skin pouch on her back. The embryos grow inside it for about two months, then she releases the tadpoles into a forest pool. It lives only in the ranges of Tucumán and Catamarca.
- Length
- c. 4.2 – 4.5 cm
- Altitude
- 1,200 – 2,800 m
- Calling
- May – Nov
- Eggs
- up to 73 in the pouch
- NW Argentina endemic
- Tree-dwelling
- Parental care
- Endangered
Altitude rangeMontane forest and nearby grassland
Known range Lives in montane cloud forest and alder woodland, reaching the nearby high grasslands. It is known from only a few sites on the Aconquija and nearby ranges.
FoodSmall arthropods
- Small insectscrickets, flies, moths
- Spiderson branches and bromeliads
- Larvaesmall caterpillars
- Woodlicein the leaf litter
Its diet in the wild is barely studied. In captivity it takes small crickets, woodlice and fruit flies.
BehaviourA mother that carries her brood
J F M A M J J A S O N D Calling and breedingCalling starts and ends - Back pouch. During mating the male tucks the fertilised eggs into the female’s pouch.
- Tadpoles to the pool. After about two months she releases the larvae into temporary pools or streams, where they finish growing.
- Lives up high. It spends the day in tree crowns, tree holes or rock crevices.
Where to look in Tucumán- PN Aconquija
- Cuesta del Clavillo
- Sierra de Medina