Yellow-striped pygmy eleuth

The yellow-striped pygmy eleuth (Eleutherodactylus limbatus), also known as the yellow-striped dwarf frog, is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It lives in closed mesic and xeric forests in Cuba.

This tiny frog is among the smallest in the world, measuring up to 1.18 cm (0.46 in) from its snout to its vent. Males are slightly smaller than females. It has bright orange-yellow markings that make it easy to spot.

The yellow-striped pygmy eleuth is part of a group of closely related Cuban frogs that includes five other described species like E. cubanus, E. etheridgei, E. iberia, E. jaumei and E. orientalis, as well as at least one undescribed species. Most of these frogs are very small, brightly colored, and may be aposematic. Some, like E. iberia and E. orientalis, have alkaloid toxins in their skin. Unlike the others, which live only in small areas of eastern Cuba, the yellow-striped pygmy eleuth can be found widely across the island.

Mating calls and reproduction

The yellow-striped pygmy eleuth has a very loud mating call, but it is very short, lasting only a fraction of a second. The call is high-pitched and repeated many times per minute. Female frogs have one ovary and lay one egg at a time. The egg is buried in the ground, where it grows quickly.

Habitat

These frogs live in Cuba, in forests with thick tree covers and dry areas. They can be found up to 1,150 meters above sea level. Their home area is small, covering about 7,700 square miles (20,000 square kilometers), but within this area, there are many of them.