A Practical Guide to the Developmental Biology of Terrestrial-Breeding Frogs

Many frogs lay their eggs in water; the development of these frogs is well-known. However, many frogs reproduce on land; their eggs are large and have an altered early development. As examples, Gastrotheca riobambae broods its embryos in a pouch on the mother's back, and Eleutherodactylus coqui exhibits direct development with no tadpole stage. We provide practical information on obtaining eggs and embryos from these terrestrial-breeding species and on analyzing their development. Our aim is to make these species more accessible to researchers who are interested in the developmental and evolutionary consequences of terrestrial development.