Definition

Proper noun A taxonomic family within the order Anura. This family comprises a diverse group of frogs commonly known as New World frogs or tropical frogs, native to the Americas. Historically, its classification has been subject to revision, with some systems considering it broadly overlapping with the family Bufonidae (true toads).

Usage Notes

• "Family Leptodactylidae" is a scientific, taxonomic term used primarily in biology, zoology, and herpetology.
• It is always capitalized as it is a proper noun denoting a specific biological family.
• In modern taxonomic revisions, many species formerly placed in Leptodactylidae have been reclassified into other families.

Examples

• The family Leptodactylidae includes well-known genera such as and .
• Researchers are studying the reproductive behavior of frogs in the family Leptodactylidae.
• Some classification systems have synonymized the family Leptodactylidae with Bufonidae.

Advanced Usage

• In Taxonomic Literature: The term is used in phylogenetic studies and faunal lists to group species sharing common ancestry. Example: "The specimen was conclusively placed within the family Leptodactylidae based on morphological and molecular data."

Variants and Related Words

• Leptodactylid (noun/adjective): A member of the family Leptodactylidae; pertaining to this family.
  • Example: "The leptodactylid frogs of South America exhibit great diversity."
• Leptodactylinae (noun): A subfamily within Leptodactylidae.

Synonyms

• Leptodactylid frogs (common descriptive synonym)
• New World frogs (broad geographical descriptor, though not all New World frogs are leptodactylids)

Different Meanings / Contexts

This term has a single, specific meaning in scientific nomenclature. It does not have idiomatic or general language meanings.

Noun

1. New World frogs; in some classifications essentially coextensive with the family Bufonidae