Calyptocephalella gayi (Duméril and Bibron, 1841)

Class: Amphibia > Order: Anura > Family: Calyptocephalellidae > Genus: Calyptocephalella > Species: Calyptocephalella gayi

Lacerta caudiverbera Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., Ed. 10, 1: 200. Types: Animal figured by Feuillée, 1714, J. Observ. Phys. Math. Botan. Am. Merid., 1: 319 (a gecko according to Kitchell and Dundee, 1994, Smithson. Herpetol. Inform. Serv., 100: 35; a composite, fictitious animal according to Myers and Stothers, 2006, Arch. Nat. Hist., London, 33: 255–256), and animal figured by Seba, 1734, Locuplet. Rer. Nat. Thesaur. Descript. Icon. Exp. Univ. Phys. Hist., 2: pl. 62, fig. 9, as stated by Linnaeus, although this is a fictitious citation. Type locality: "Peru". Myers and Stothers, 2006, Arch. Nat. Hist., London, 33: 255–256, discussed why they regard this name to be based on a fictitious animal and therefore unavailable.

Caudiverbera peruviana Laurenti, 1768, Spec. Med. Exhib. Synops. Rept.: 43. Types: Animal figured by Feuillée, 1714, J. Observ. Phys. Math. Botan. Am. Merid., 1: 319 (one of the syntypes of Lacerta caudiverbera Linnaeus, 1758; a gecko according to Kitchell and Dundee, 1994, Smithson. Herpetol. Inform. Serv., 100: 35; a composite, fictitious animal according to Myers and Stothers, 2006, Arch. Nat. Hist., London, 33: 255–256). Type locality: Peru; in error. Synonymy with Lacerta caudiverbera by Duméril and Bibron, 1836, Erp. Gen., 3: 386; Donoso-Barros and Cei, 1962, Herpetologica, 18: 198; Lavilla, 1994 "1992", Acta Zool. Lilloana, 42: 82. Myers and Stothers, 2006, Arch. Nat. Hist., London, 33: 255–256, discussed why they considered this name to be based on a fictitious animal and therefore unavailable.

Gecko cristatus Daudin, 1802 "An. XI", Hist. Nat. Rain. Gren. Crap., Quarto: 167. Types: MNHNP, but not recorded as being there now. Type locality: ". . . Amérique, au Chili". Synonymy by Duméril and Bibron, 1836, Erp. Gen., 3: 386; Donoso-Barros and Cei, 1962, Herpetologica, 18: 198–199. Note on the type locality from E.O. Lavilla (pers. comm.): Daudin includes in the synonymy of this species at last two taxa: the Salamandra aquatique et noir of Feuillée, 1714, J. Observ. Phys. Math. Botan. Am. Merid., 1 (type locality: "A la distance environ d’une lieue de la ville de Conception, Chile, au pied d’une montagne"), and the salamandra aquatica of Seba (on the type locality, Daudin says: "Cet auteur [Seba] croit que le gecko a queue crêtée habite en Arabie, Egypte et en Ethiopie"). Concludes (p. 175) "... cet animal n’habite pas en Afrique, mais en Amerique, au Chili". Not mentioned by Myers and Stothers, 2006, Arch. Nat. Hist., London, 33: 255–256, but a nomen oblitum, and likely not based on the same species as Calyptocephalus gayi Duméril and Bibron, 1841.

Gecko caudiverbera — Merrem, 1820, Tent. Syst. Amph.: 40.

Ptyodactylus feullaei Duméril and Bibron, 1836, Erp. Gen., 3: 386. Types: Not designated. Type locality: "Chili .... à peu de distance de la ville de la Conception". Named as a synonym of Lacerta caudiverbera Linnaeus, 1758. Synonymy with Lacerta caudiverbera Linnaeus, 1758, by Donoso-Barros and Cei, 1962, Herpetologica, 18: 198–199; Lavilla, 1994 "1992", Acta Zool. Lilloana, 42: 82.

Peltocephalus quoyi Tschudi, 1838, Classif. Batr.: 41, 81. Syntypes: Including MNHNP 0.4533 ("Chili", also a syntype of Calyptocephalus gayi) according to museum records. Type locality: "Innern Chili". Synonymy with Calyptocephallus gayi by Duméril and Bibron, 1841, Erp. Gen., 6: 450; Guichenot, 1848, in Gay (ed.), Hist. Fis. Polit. Chile, Zool., 2: 109; Günther, 1859 "1858", Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus.: 21; Steindachner, 1867, Reise Österreichischen Fregatte Novara, Zool., Amph.: 15. Tentatively accepted by Donoso-Barros and Cei, 1962, Herpetologica, 18: 198–199. Nomen oblitum.

Calyptocephalus gayi Duméril and Bibron, 1841, Erp. Gen., 6: 450. Syntypes: MNHNP by original designation; including MNHNP 0.4533 ("Chili", also a type of Peltocephalus quoyi) and MNHNP 0.4532 ("Talcahuano"), by museum records. Type locality: "Chili". Name proposed as a synonym of Peltocephalus quoyi. Synonymy with Lacerta caudiverbera by Myers, 1962, Copeia, 1962: 195, but this synonymy rejected by Myers and Stothers, 2006, Arch. Nat. Hist., London, 33: 256.

Oiacurus feuillae — Fitzinger, 1843, Syst. Rept.: 97.

Uroplatus caudiverbera — Boulenger, 1885, Cat. Lizards Coll. Brit. Mus., 1: 236. Based on misidentifications.

Calyptocephalus ater Philippi, 1902, Supl. Batr. Chil. Descr. Hist. Fis. Polit. Chile: 151. Syntypes: MNHNC according to the original publication. Type locality: "provincia Valdivia", Chile. Regarded as a nomen dubium by Nieden, 1923, Das Tierreich, 46: 373. Synonymy (with Calyptocephalella gayi) by Cei, 1958, Invest. Zool. Chilen., 4: 275. Synonymy by Donoso-Barros and Cei, 1962, Herpetologica, 18: 198–199.

Calyptocephalus rufus Philippi, 1902, Supl. Batr. Chil. Descr. Hist. Fis. Polit. Chile: 152. Types: MNHNC according to the original publication. Type locality: "provincia de Santiago", Chile. Regarded as a nomen dubium by Nieden, 1923, Das Tierreich, 46: 373. Synonymy (with Calyptocephalella gayi) by Cei, 1958, Invest. Zool. Chilen., 4: 275. Synonymy by Donoso-Barros and Cei, 1962, Herpetologica, 18: 198–199.

Calyptocephalus coxi Philippi, 1902, Supl. Batr. Chil. Descr. Hist. Fis. Polit. Chile: 153. Syntypes: MNHNC according to the original publication. Type locality: "hacienda de Mansel", Chile. Regarded as a nomen dubium by Nieden, 1923, Das Tierreich, 46: 373. Synonymy (with Calyptocephalella gayi) by Cei, 1958, Invest. Zool. Chilen., 4: 275. Provisional synonymy by Gorham, 1966, Das Tierreich, 85: 35.

Calyptocephala gayi — Nieden, 1923, Das Tierreich, 46: 373.

Calyptocephalella gayi — Strand, 1928, Arch. Naturgesch., Abt. A,, 92: 55, by implication.

Calyptocephalella canqueli Schaeffer, 1949, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 93: 50. Holotype: AMNH 3429 (fossil), by original designation. Type locality: Scarritt Pocket [Rinconada de los López], western margin of the Meseta de Canquel, Chubut, Argentina. Synonymy by Lynch, 1971, Misc. Publ. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kansas, 53: ; Lavilla, 1994 "1992", Acta Zool. Lilloana, 42: 81. Regarded by Sanchíz, 1998, Handb. Palaeoherpetol., 4: 68–69, to be valid and distinct.

Gigantobatrachus parodii Casamiquela, 1958, Rev. Asoc. Geol. Argentina, 13: 174. Holotype: MLP 59-VII-30-1 (fossil). Type locality: Laguna Blanca, Chubut, Argentina [Miocene]. Synonymy by Báez and Brandoni de Gasparini, 1977, Acta Geol. Lilloana, 14: 149–232. Regarded by Sanchíz, 1998, Handb. Palaeoherpetol., 4: 68–69, to be valid and distinct.

Caudiverbera caudiverbera — Myers, 1962, Copeia, 1962: 195–202. Veloso, 1978 "1977", Herpetologica, 34: 434.

Calyptocephala caudiverbera — Donoso-Barros, 1970, Bol. Mus. Nac. Hist. Nat., Santiago, 31: 49–121.

Calyptocephalella gayi — Myers and Stothers, 2006, Arch. Nat. Hist., London, 33: 255–256.

English Names

Gay’s Frog (Cochran, 1961, Living Amph. World: 88; Ananjeva, Borkin, Darevsky, and Orlov, 1988, Dict. Amph. Rept. Five Languages: 77).

Chilean Toad (Ananjeva, Borkin, Darevsky, and Orlov, 1988, Dict. Amph. Rept. Five Languages: 77).

Helmeted Water Toad (Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 70).

Distribution

From the Huasco River basin in the Región de Atacama, south to the vicinity of Puerto Montt, Región de Magallanes, Chile, 0–1000 m elevation.

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: Chile

Endemic: Chile

Comment

See Ortiz and Lescure, 1990 "1989", Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Paris, Sect. A, Zool., 11: 118–119, and Myers and Stothers, 2006, Arch. Nat. Hist., London, 33: 255–256. See photograph, map, description of geographic range and habitat, and conservation status (as Caudiverbera caudiverbera) in Stuart, Hoffmann, Chanson, Cox, Berridge, Ramani, and Young, 2008, Threatened Amph. World: 297. See Lobos, Vidal-Maldonado, Correa-Quezada, Labra-Lillo, Díaz-Páez, Charrier, Rabanal, Díaz-Vidal, and Tala, 2013, Anf. Chile Conserv. 1–104, for photograph, comments on conservation status, and range. Horta–Pizarro, Soffia, and Valle-Codina, 2018, Bol. Chil. Herpetol., 5: 12–15, reported on habitat preference in the Región O'Higgins, Chile, providing a new altitudinal record. Mella Ávila and Horta–Pizarro, 2019, Bol. Chil. Herpetol., 6: 15–18, provided records from the Huasco River basin in the Atacama Region, Chile, provided a range map for that Region and photographs of adults, juvenile, tadpole, and habitat. Mora, Bardi, and Labra-Lillo, 2021, Gayana, 85: 22–34, reviewed the literature of the species. Contardo and Labra-Lillo, 2024, Conserv. Sci. Practice, 2024(e13106): 1–17, provided a dot map, modeled the distribution, and discussed the conservation priorities. 

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