Aquatic Treefrog vs Chunky False Brook Salamander

Sarcohyla crassa compared with Aquiloeurycea cephalica

Key Differences

• Aquatic Treefrog is Critically Endangered while Chunky False Brook Salamander is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Aquatic Treefrog	Chunky False Brook Salamander
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Amphibia (Amphibians)
Order	Anura (Frogs & Toads)	Caudata (Caudata)
Family	Hylidae	Plethodontidae
Genus	Sarcohyla	Aquiloeurycea
Species	Sarcohyla crassa	Aquiloeurycea cephalica

Evolutionary Relationship

Aquatic Treefrog and Chunky False Brook Salamander share a common ancestor at the Class level: Amphibia. (Amphibians)

Conservation Status

Aquatic Treefrog

CR — Critically Endangered

Chunky False Brook Salamander

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Aquatic Treefrog	Chunky False Brook Salamander
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Aquatic Treefrog

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Nearctic and Neotropic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Mexico. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Chunky False Brook Salamander

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in Mexico.

Aquatic Treefrog

The Aquatic Treefrog (Sarcohyla crassa) is a species in the genus Sarcohyla. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Nearctic and Neo.

Chunky False Brook Salamander

The Chunky False Brook Salamander (Aquiloeurycea cephalica) is a Least Concern plethodontid salamander endemic to Mexico, found in cloud forest and humid montane habitats in the Sierra Madre Oriental and related mountain ranges. The genus Aquiloeurycea is a recently erected Mexican endemic genus segregated from the broader genus Pseudoeurycea, comprising several small, robustly built (hence 'chunky') salamanders associated with high-elevation forests. Like all plethodontids, A. cephalica is a lungless salamander that breathes entirely through its moist, vascularized skin and the lining of its mouth. It is a direct developer, skipping the aquatic larval stage entirely and laying eggs in terrestrial microhabitats such as rotting logs, leaf litter, and soil. A. cephalica inhabits cool, humid forests of pine-oak and cloud forest zones in northern Mexico, where it forages for small invertebrates in the leaf litter and soil. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern due to its reasonably wide distribution within its montane range. Deforestation, cattle grazing, and the conversion of cloud forest to agriculture represent ongoing threats to populations throughout its range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇲🇽 Mexico