Zweifel's Frog

Fascinating facts about the Zweifel's Frog

• When Hillis, Frost, and Webb published their 1984 paper, they introduced a frog found only 12 km east of Teloloapan, Guerrero, anchoring its identity to a precise point on Mexico’s map.
• Unlike many amphibians that cling to high mountain streams, this species makes its home in tropical and subtropical forests at low elevations across eight Mexican states, from Guerrero to Colima, hugging both permanent rivers and temporary ponds.
• Its scientific name, zweifeli, isn’t a random label, it honors American herpetologist Richard G. Zweifel, tying the creature’s discovery to a legacy of amphibian research.
• Although the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, the frog’s future hinges on the health of its breeding waters; local habitat disturbance and drying ponds are the very threats that could silence its seasonal chorus.

At a glance

About the Zweifel's Frog

Zweifel's frog (Lithobates zweifeli) was formally described in 1984 by Hillis, Frost, and Webb, and its name honors American herpetologist Richard G. Zweifel. It inhabits tropical and subtropical forests at low elevations in southern Mexico, including the Balsas Depression and the states of Guerrero, Morelos, Michoacán, Puebla, México, Oaxaca, Jalisco, and Colima, where it is found near permanent and temporary water bodies such as streams, rivers, and ponds that serve as breeding habitats. Its ability to use both permanent and fleeting aquatic habitats allows it to complete its reproductive cycle in rain-filled ponds that may disappear within weeks, although alterations in forest cover and drying of breeding sites can disrupt its life cycle.

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