| Brachycephalidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Brachycephalus ephippium (above), Ischnocnema izecksohni (below) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Clade: | Brachycephaloidea |
| Family: | Brachycephalidae Günther, 1858 |
| Type genus | |
| Brachycephalus Fitzinger, 1826 | |
| Genera | |
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Brachycephalina Günther, 1858 | |
TheBrachycephalidae (/ˌbrækɪsɪˈfælɪdi/) are afamily offrogs confined to eastern and southernBrazil and northernArgentina.[1] The family is composed of two externally quite differentgenera: the tiny, often (but not always) colourful and plumpsaddleback toads (Brachycephalus) from Brazil, and the larger, slimmer and more drab genusIschnocnema from both Brazil and Argentina. The family is mainly defined by molecular characteristics, and are linked by few anatomical features.[2] It was erected from two genera of the previously large familyEleutherodactylidae, which is now split into four families.[3]
The Brachycephalidae all havedirect development and hatch like miniature adults rather than astadpoles like most frogs. The members of the genusBrachycephalus are all very diminutive animals, with many species under 1 cm (0.4 in) in snout–to–vent length.[4]
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