Don't want to see ads? Sign up...




Leptodactylus latinasus

Leptodactylus latinasus

Jiménez de la Espada, 1875
Rana Piadora

Family: Leptodactylidae
Order: Anura
Class: Amphibia
Phylum / Division: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia

 Request change

Other common names: Ranita Piadora.





Filters


Records from Argentina


Description


It is a small to medium-sized anuran belonging to the family Leptodactylidae, characterized by a robust body and relatively short hind limbs. Adults typically reach a snout-vent length of 30 to 38 millimeters, with females being slightly larger than males. Its head is longer than wide, showing a distinctive pointed, protruding snout that facilitates its burrowing habits. The dorsal coloration ranges from grayish-brown to pale brown, decorated with variable dark markings or longitudinal stripes, and a dark stripe running from the snout through the eye, giving it a mustache-like appearance. The ventral surface is smooth and whitish or yellowish, while the dorsal skin displays subtle, non-prominent glandular folds. Males feature a single, highly distensible vocal sac that expands dramatically during call production.

Geographical distribution: This amphibian is widely distributed across the southern cone of South America, inhabiting temperate and subtropical zones. It occurs throughout northern and central Argentina, extending as far south as the provinces of Buenos Aires and La Pampa. It is also found across the entirety of Uruguay, in southern Brazil (predominantly restricted to the state of Rio Grande do Sul), and throughout most of Paraguay, exhibiting high ecological plasticity across these diverse territorial boundaries.

Habitat: It primarily inhabits lowland plains, grasslands, humid savannas, and open formations associated with the Chaco, Pampa, and Espinal phytogeographic regions. It is a highly adaptable species that successfully colonizes human-modified environments, such as agricultural fields, cattle pastures, roadside ditches, and suburban gardens. It requires seasonal or temporary water bodies, such as rain puddles, flooded depressions, and temporary ponds, to complete its life cycle.

Feeding: Its diet is strictly insectivorous and opportunistic, consisting of a wide array of small terrestrial invertebrates. Its prey includes ants, beetles, spiders, dipterans, and various insect larvae. Utilizing a sit-and-wait hunting strategy, it remains completely motionless until an unsuspecting prey item comes within range, capturing it rapidly with its sticky, projectile tongue.

Behavior: It exhibits nocturnal and semi-fossorial habits, spending the hot daylight hours concealed under fallen logs, rocks, or inside underground chambers that it digs in loose soil. Its activity increases significantly during rainy nights or periods of high atmospheric humidity. Males are famous for producing an advertisement call characterized by a high-pitched, short whistle, which is used to establish territorial boundaries and attract females to the breeding sites.

Reproduction: The breeding cycle takes place during the warm, rainy spring and summer months, heavily dependent on heavy rainfall. Males construct subterranean mud chambers close to the margins of drying or temporary pools. Within these secure underground retreats, amplexus occurs, and the female deposits eggs enveloped in a thick foam nest created by whipping up cloacal fluids with her hind legs. This foam protects the developing embryos from desiccation and predators until subsequent heavy rains flood the chamber, washing the newly hatched tadpoles into the neighboring aquatic environment to complete their larval development.

Conservation status: It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. This status is justified by its extensive geographical range, stable and abundant populations, and its high tolerance for moderate habitat disturbances caused by agricultural expansion and suburban development.



Compilation and publication: EcoRegistros – 02/09/2026




Geographic distribution


Loading map...


Latest feeding records

Is consumed, preyed upon or captured by...
GroupSpeciesDateUser
BirdsPirincho (Guira guira)20/01/2018Martin Ferrari




Species photographs

Last published photographs

Foto
Photography ID: 644954
  Adult

Villa Ocampo
Santa Fe
Argentina
04/03/2025
Silvio Lamothe
Foto
Photography ID: 633050
  Adult

Mercedes
Buenos Aires
Argentina
05/03/2025
Daniel Osvaldo Fernández
Foto
Photography ID: 611312
  Adult

Villa Ocampo
Santa Fe
Argentina
11/23/2024
Nilo Casco
Foto
Photography ID: 611067
  Adult

Gualeguaychú
Entre Ríos
Argentina
11/27/2024
Rodolfo Julio Velazquez
Foto
Photography ID: 558608
  Adult

Machagai
Chaco
Argentina
12/01/2023
Mauro Méndez Renedo



 View all photographs of the species




 Add a photography of this species






Species vocalizations

Last vocalizations published


Audio playerUserDateCountryProvincePlaceSexLife stageIt was observedDetails
Franco Vushurovich01/22/2025ArgentinaSanta FeFunesFunesN/AN/ANoNo
Sebastián Otero11/11/2023ArgentinaBuenos AiresÁrea Natural Yrigoyen (Yrigoyen y el Río)Vicente LópezN/AN/ANoNo
Jorge La Grotteria03/30/2021ArgentinaEntre RíosLago Salto GrandeConcordiaN/AN/ANoNo
Jorge La Grotteria03/05/2021ArgentinaEntre RíosParque San CarlosConcordiaN/AN/ANoNo
Diego Carus02/18/2021ArgentinaCiudad Autónoma de Buenos AiresLago de RegatasAdultNoNo
María Alejandra Sosa01/21/2021ArgentinaJujuyCamino de accesoParque Nacional CalileguaN/AN/ANoNo
Jorge La Grotteria12/16/2020ArgentinaBuenos AiresBv. Presidente Perón 1153GarínN/AN/ANoNo
Jorge La Grotteria12/05/2020ArgentinaEntre RíosCeibasN/AN/ANoNo
Juan Atenzio01/03/2019ArgentinaBuenos AiresÁlvarez de ToledoSaladilloAdultNoNo
Diego Oscar11/21/2015ArgentinaBuenos AiresPte DerquiPilarN/AN/ANoNo
Carlos M. Grassini09/28/2012ArgentinaEntre RíosBanquinas de la ruta J en zona de Chola Montefinale, Escuela y hacia ruta 14Colonia Of. N° 6, Departamento UruguayAdultNoNo
Carlos M. Grassini08/03/2014ArgentinaEntre RíosComplejo Termal Chajarí y alrededoresChajaríAdultNoNo
Carlos M. Grassini11/16/2013ArgentinaEntre RíosCalle Irigoyen entre calle Além y ruta "tres Hermanas"ChajaríAdultNoNo
Carlos M. Grassini12/30/2012ArgentinaEntre RíosContinuación camino "tres Hermanas" entre Lombardía y 25 de MayoChajaríAdultNoNo



 See all the audios of the species




 Add an audio of this species





Species videos

Last filmings published


Video ID: 460
  Adult

Chajarí
Entre Ríos
Argentina
12/03/2013
Carlos M. Grassini



 Ver todos los videos de la especie




 Add a film of this species





Species reports



 Detail of places sorted by number of records








Page 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
241945521/01/202621:18ArgentinaEntre RíosRemedios Escalada De San Martin 1205, Concordia1Jorge La Grotteria
242412816/01/202622:00ArgentinaCórdobaSan José de la DormidaMartín Lépez
240954902/01/202620:37ArgentinaEntre RíosConcordiaJorge La Grotteria
240953402/01/202620:37ArgentinaEntre RíosConcordiaMaría Alejandra Sosa
240880201/01/202620:13ArgentinaEntre RíosRemedios Escalada De San Martin 1205, Concordia3Jorge La Grotteria
240517227/12/202520:55ArgentinaEntre RíosLago Salto Grande, ConcordiaJorge La Grotteria
240514927/12/202520:55ArgentinaEntre RíosLago Salto Grande, ConcordiaMaría Alejandra Sosa
240515826/12/202520:34ArgentinaEntre RíosLago Salto Grande, Concordia1Jorge La Grotteria
240513526/12/202520:34ArgentinaEntre RíosLago Salto Grande, Concordia1María Alejandra Sosa
240410025/12/2025ArgentinaEntre RíosConcordiaJorge La Grotteria
Page 1

 Add a record of this species

📖
Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Leptodactylus latinasus – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 23/09/2026.