Sierra Maestra Blotched Frog

Diagnosis. — A large to medium size frog (females up to 48.1 mm SVL) of the subgenus Euhyas, more closely related to E. bresslerae (Fig. 1 E) than to any other taxon for the following combination of characters: similar size, conspicuous blotched pattern, laterally expanded digital discs, fourth finger disc’s proximal edge very close to the third finger disc base when both digits are held together, chirping calls, 16 pairs of chromosomes, and petricolous habits. Eleutherodactylus michaelschmidi has a more homogeneously blotched pattern throughout the body and extremities than E. bresslerae. In the latter species, blotches are larger and more densely grouped in the anterior half of dorsum, whereas they are smaller, more scattered, or even absent in the posterior part, on flanks, and legs. Typically, E. bresslerae has a reddish wash in the distal half of body which is absent in E. michaelschmidi. The new species also differs from E. bresslerae by having a relatively longer snout (43.9 – 49.1 % of head length, x = 46.8; versus 40.9 – 43.6 %, x = 42.3, in E. bresslerae), and proportionally smaller eyes (32.0 – 34.3 %, x = 33.0, of head length, vs. 36.0 – 38.5 %, x = 37.1, in E. bresslerae). There is also morphological and acoustic evidence that E. michaelschmidi is somewhat similar to E. ricordii (Fig. 1 F) and E. acmonis (Fig. 1 G), but differs from them essentially by its larger size (maximum SVL of 40 mm in females of E. ricordii and E. acmonis), enlarged digital discs (vs. smaller in the two other species), lighter belly (vs. typically fleshy gray in E. ricordii and E. acmonis), and by having a longer and higher snout (vs. short and gradually sloping in the two smaller species).