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New Zealand primitive frogs
Hochstetters Frog (Leiopelma hochstetteri)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Amphibia Order: Anura Suborder: Archaeobatrachia Family: Leiopelmatidae Mivart, 1869 Genus: Leiopelma Fitzinger, 1861
Distribution of Leiopelmatidae (in black)
Species
See text.

Leiopelmatidae, or New Zealand primitive frogs, belong to the suborder Archaeobatrachia. Their belonging to this suborder suggests they are an ancient family.^[1][2] Only four species are known, or believed to belong to the family. Furthermore, as the common name suggests, they are only found in New Zealand.^[3]

Their defining characteristics are the extra vertebrae (bringing the total to nine) and muscles allowing the capacity for tail wagging. The family Ascaphidae (found only in North America), of the same suborder, share these "unique" characteristics, and hence the two have often been described as related, or even part of the same family.

Physically, and again similar to ascaphidae, they are extremely small (5 centimetres). Preferring damp conditions, eggs are laid, fertilised, and after hatching the larvae nest in the male's back, all without the need for standing or flowing water. Lifespan may be long (more than 30 years) for such small organisms.^[4]

• Archey's Frog, Leiopelma archeyi Turbott, 1942
• Hamilton's Frog, Leiopelma hamiltoni McCulloch, 1919
• Hochstetter's Frog, Leiopelma hochstetteri Fitzinger, 1861
• Maud Island Frog, Leiopelma pakeka Bell, Daugherty & Hay, 1998

Three extinct species are known by subfossil remains. They became extinct during the past 1,000 years.

• †Leiopelma auroraensis
• †Leiopelma markhami
• †Leiopelma waitomoensis

1. ^ Roelants, Kim; Franky Bossuyt (February 2005). "Archaeobatrachian paraphyly and pangaean diversification of crown-group frogs". Systematic Biology 54: 111-126. 
2. ^ San Mauro, Diego; Miguel Vences, Marina Alcobendas, Rafael Zardoya and Axel Meyer (May 2005). "Initial diversification of living amphibians predated the breakup of Pangaea". American Naturalist 165: 590-599. 
3. ^ DOC: Photo-stage and Archey's Frog. Retrieved on 2005-12-05.
4. ^ Bell, Ben D.; et al. (2004). "The fate of a population of the endemic frog Leiopelma pakeka (Anura: Leiopelmatidae) translocated to restored habitat on Maud Island, New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Zoology 31: 123–131. 

• [1]

• D.G. Newman (1996). Native frog (Leiopelma ssp.) recovery plan (PDF). Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.

v • d • e Chordata - Amphibia - Families of Anura

Allophrynidae - Amphignathodontidae - Arthroleptidae - Ascaphidae - Bombinatoridae - Brachycephalidae - Bufonidae - Centrolenidae - Dendrobatidae - Discoglossidae - Heleophrynidae - Hemisotidae - Hylidae - Hyperoliidae - Leiopelmatidae - Leptodactylidae - Mantellidae - Megophryidae - Microhylidae - Myobatrachidae - Nasikabatrachidae - Pelobatidae - Pelodytidae - Pipidae - Ranidae - Rhacophoridae - Rhinodermatidae - Rhinophrynidae - Scaphiopodidae - Sooglossidae