Aside from the breeding congregations, active toads were found on the forest floor at night; a few were there by day. Some individuals were beneath logs during the day.
Eleutherodactylus rostralis (Werner)
Chinajá, 10.
Because of the multiplicity of names and the variation in coloration, the small terrestrial Eleutherodactylus in southern México and northern Central America are in a state of taxonomic confusion. Stuart (1934:7, 1935:37, and 1958:17) referred specimens from El Petén to Eleutherodactylus rhodopis (Cope). Stuart (1941b:197) described Eleutherodactylus anzuetoi from Alta Verapaz and El Quiché, Guatemala, suggested that the new species was an upland relative of Eleutherodactylus rostralis (Werner), and used that name for the frogs that he earlier had referred to Eleutherodactylus rhodopis. Dunn and Emlen (1932:24) placed E. rostralis in the synonymy of E. gollmeri (Peters). Examination of series of these frogs from southern México, Guatemala, and Costa Rica causes me to think that there are four species; these can be distinguished as follows:
E. rhodopis.—No web between toes; one tarsal tubercle; tibiotarsal articulation reaches to nostril; iris bronze in life.
E. anzuetoi.—No web between toes; a row of tarsal tubercles; tibiotarsal articulation reaches to tip of snout; color of iris unknown.
E. rostralis.—A vestige of web between toes; no tarsal tubercles; tibiotarsal articulation reaches snout or slightly beyond; iris coppery red in life.
E. gollmeri.—A vestige of web between toes; no tarsal tubercles; tibiotarsal articulation reaches well beyond snout; iris coppery red in life.
The presence of webbing between the toes, the absence of tarsal tubercles, and the coppery red iris distinguish E. rostralis and E. gollmeri from the other species. Probably E. rostralis and E. gollmeri are conspecific, but additional specimens are needed from Nicaragua and Honduras to prove conspecificity. On the other hand, the characters of the frogs from Chinajá clearly show that they are related to E. gollmeri to the south and not to E. rhodopis to the north in México.
At Chinajá, Eleutherodactylus rostralis was more abundant than the few specimens indicate, for upon being approached the frogs moved quickly and erratically, soon disappearing in the leaf litter on the forest floor. Most of the specimens were seen actively moving on the forest floor in the daytime; one was found beneath a rock, and one was on the forest floor at night.