Pleurodema bufoninum Bell, 1843

Taxonomy and Common Name

Pleurodema bufoninum, commonly known as the large four-eyed frog, is a species of frog that belongs to the family Leptodactylidae.

Native Range

This species is native to Argentina and Chile.

Natural Habitats

Its natural habitats include subantarctic forests, temperate forests, subantarctic shrubland, temperate shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subantarctic grassland, temperate grassland, intermittent rivers, swamps, intermittent freshwater marshes, arable land, rural gardens, ponds, and open excavations.

Common Name Origin

Its common name "four-eyed frog" comes from two poison glands located in its inguinal region that resemble eyes.

Threat Response Posture

When the frog feels threatened, it lowers its head and raises its rear.

Anti-predator Adaptation

This posture lifts the poison glands up toward the predator, and the predator may mistake the frog's raised posterior for the head of a larger animal.