Fig. 1

Larval growth in ceratophryid species. a. Chacophrys pierottii has two growth trajectories. Large tadpoles metamorphose in two weeks. This size variation could be influenced by food quality and/or pond desiccation. b. Ceratophrys cranwelli also has accelerated growth compared to non-ceratophryids species with a rapid larval development completed in three weeks. c. Lepidobatrachus llanensis and d. L. laevis. Lepidobatrachus spp. have particularly large and fast-growing tadpoles. Tadpoles of Lepidobatrachus reach the end of metamorphosis in two weeks. Intraspecific size variation seems to be related to food quantity. Ceratophryid frogs all reproduce explosively once a year at the beginning of the wet and warm season