About Lithobates lenca (Luque-Montes, Austin, Weinfurther, Wilson, Hofmann & Townsend, 2018)
Common Name and Taxonomy
Lithobates lenca, commonly known as the Lenca leopard frog, is a species of true frog.
Distribution and Altitude Range
It is native to the Chortis Highlands of southwestern Honduras, where it occurs at altitudes ranging from 1560 to 2080 meters.
Previous Taxonomic Classification
For a long time, this frog was believed to be a hybrid of two lowland species: Lithobates brownorum and Lithobates forreri.
Species Confirmation
It was only in 2018 that DNA testing confirmed these highland leopard frogs are a separate, distinct species.
Morphological Comparison to Related Species
Compared to the two lowland parent species, Lenca leopard frogs are smaller in overall body size but have larger heads.
Male Size
Male Lenca leopard frogs grow to a snout-vent length between 46.6 and 64.3 millimeters, which equals 1.83 to 2.53 inches.
Female Size
Female Lenca leopard frogs grow to a snout-vent length between 43.7 and 76.3 millimeters, which equals 1.72 to 3 inches.
Etymology of Common Name
This species gets its common name from the Lenca people, who live in the same mountainous region that the frog inhabits.
