Leptodactylus laticeps
species of amphibian
Leptodactylus laticeps, known commonly as the Santa Fe frog is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is found the Gran Chaco of South America, in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
Taxonomy
The first description of the species was published by George Albert Boulenger in 1918, with the type locality being Santa Fe, Argentina.
Description and behaviour
The frog is known to build caves or use caves built by other animals. Reproduction takes place in ephemeral ponds, and while it is unclear how the tadpoles live, it is believed that their development is at least partially subterranean.
Distribution and habitat
L. laticeps is found in the Gran Cacho of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, mainly inhabiting the drier regions. It is a terrestrial frog closely associated with forest habitats, and is found at elevations of 0–300 m (0–984 ft).
Conservation
The species is threatened by the international pet trade and by habitat loss, and it is considered unlikely for the species to be resilient to human disturbances of its habitats. In Paraguay the habitat loss is driven by the expansion of cattle grazing, the construction of roads and forest fires becoming more frequent and larger, with about 18.5% of the Paraguayan Dry Chaco being deforested between 2001 and 2012.
The 2020 IUCN Red List assessment of L. laticeps deemed the species to be near threatened due to population decline as a result of too many frogs being collected for the international pet trade, which has made the frog rare in Argentina.
“Leptodactylus laticeps” enters the record as species of amphibian. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Leptodactylus, laticeps and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Leptodactylus laticeps” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Leptodactylus, laticeps and species provides the most credible route into that argument.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2245688. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1918, 2001, 2012 and 2020.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Leptodactylus laticeps”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Leptodactylus laticeps primary sources, Leptodactylus laticeps archive and Leptodactylus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Leptodactylus laticeps”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Leptodactylus laticeps” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.