Chestnut-headed Crake vs Cloud Forest Treefrog

Anurolimnas castaneiceps compared with Megastomatohyla nubicola

Key Differences

• Chestnut-headed Crake is Least Concern while Cloud Forest Treefrog is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chestnut-headed Crake	Cloud Forest Treefrog
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Amphibia (Amphibians)
Order	Gruiformes (Gruiformes)	Anura (Frogs & Toads)
Family	Rallidae	Hylidae
Genus	Anurolimnas	Megastomatohyla
Species	Anurolimnas castaneiceps	Megastomatohyla nubicola

Evolutionary Relationship

Chestnut-headed Crake and Cloud Forest Treefrog share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Chestnut-headed Crake

LC — Least Concern

Cloud Forest Treefrog

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chestnut-headed Crake	Cloud Forest Treefrog
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chestnut-headed Crake

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Norway.

Cloud Forest 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.

Chestnut-headed Crake

The Chestnut-headed Crake (Anurolimnas castaneiceps) is a species in the genus Anurolimnas. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Cloud Forest Treefrog

Cloud forest treefrogs in the genus Megastomatohyla (family Hylidae) are medium to large arboreal frogs native to the montane cloud forests of Mexico and Guatemala, inhabiting humid highland forests at elevations between 1,500 and 2,800 meters. These treefrogs have large adhesive toe pads, long limbs adapted for climbing, and typically green or brown coloration with cryptic patterns matching lichen-covered bark and leaves. They breed in temporary and permanent pools in forest clearings and at stream margins, with males calling from vegetation over water on rainy nights. Larvae develop in small forest pools. The genus Megastomatohyla was separated from the large genus Hyla based on molecular and morphological studies distinguishing Middle American cloud forest specialists from their lowland relatives. Several species in this genus have experienced significant population declines attributed to chytridiomycosis in combination with habitat loss, and some are now considered Critically Endangered or Endangered. The montane cloud forests of Mexico and Guatemala harbor exceptional amphibian diversity but face deforestation pressures from agricultural expansion, charcoal production, and illegal logging that continue to reduce amphibian habitat area.