Smilisca puma (Cope, 1885)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Nicaragua cross-banded tree frog or tawny smilisca (Smilisca puma) is a species of tree frog in the family Hylidae. It is found in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica and adjacent Nicaragua to about 520 m (1,710 ft) above sea level. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests. It breeds in small, shallow temporary pools or ponds, including those in very disturbed habitats, such as pastures. Males call during the rainy season from shallow water and low bushes. Habitat loss and degradation caused by small- and large-scale agriculture and logging are threats to this species.
Wikipedia contributors, Nicaragua cross-banded tree frog; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T18:52:05.986518+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Smilisca puma (Cope, 1885)
- Name authority
- (Cope, 1885)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Anura
- Family
- Hylidae
- Genus
- Smilisca
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAmphibia
- orderAnura
- familyHylidae Rafinesque, 1815
- genusSmilisca Cope, 1865
- speciesSmilisca puma (Cope, 1885)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Smilisca. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Mexican SmiliscaSmilisca baudinii (Duméril & Bibron, 1841) | HylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Smilisca dentata (Smith, 1957) | HylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lowland Burrowing TreefrogSmilisca fodiens (Boulenger, 1882) | HylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Smilisca phaeota (Cope, 1862) | HylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Smilisca sila Duellman & Trueb, 1966 | HylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Smilisca cyanosticta (Smith, 1953) | HylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Smilisca manisorum (Taylor, 1954) | HylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Hyla puma Cope, 1885 Cope, 1885 | synonym |
| Smilisca wellmanorum (Taylor, 1952) (Taylor, 1952) | synonym |
| Hyla wellmanorum Taylor, 1952 Taylor, 1952 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=662826 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4XWY8. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.