Carchi Andes toad explained

The Carchi Andes toad (Rhaebo colomai) is a species of toad endemic to the western slopes of the Andes in northern Ecuador and southern Colombia.[1] It is listed as an endangered species due to a restricted range and habitat loss.

Description

Rhaebo colomai are medium-sized toads: males measure 33mm38mm and females 55mm59mm in snout–vent length.[2]

Habitat and conservation

This species is known only from three locations: the type locality ("Cabacera del Rio Baboso, cerca a Lita', Carchi Province, Ecuador"), one other locality close by in the province of Carchi, in the northwestern Andes of Ecuador, and one locality on the Colombian Massif in the Nariño Department. It has been recorded from 1,180 to 1,500 m asl.[2] [3] [4]

The holotype was collected on a branch some 50 cm above the ground in the forest of a small creek at night.[5] A male was collected at night sitting on a tree trunk in a creek, while a female was collected in the afternoon on the forest floor near a creek. The stomach of a female was crammed with ants.[6]

The type locality has been severely impacted by habitat destruction as a result of agriculture and logging. In addition, spraying of herbicides in Colombia to control crops is polluting the species' habitat. An unknown intrinsic factor may also be responsible for the species' scarcity.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rhaebo colomai (Hoogmoed, 1985) . Frost, Darrel R. . 2014 . Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 . American Museum of Natural History . 17 September 2015.
  2. Ron. Santiago R.. Mueses-Cisneros. Jonh Jairo. Gutiérrez-Cárdenas. Paul David Alfonso. Rojas-Rivera. Alejandra. Lynch. Ryan L.. Rocha. Carlos F. Duarte. Galarza. Gabriela. 2015 . Systematics of the endangered toad genus Andinophryne (Anura: Bufonidae): phylogenetic position and synonymy under the genus Rhaebo . Zootaxa . 3947 . 3 . 347–366 . 10.11646/zootaxa.3947.3.3. 25947741. free.
  3. Web site: Rhaebo colomai . Coloma, L. A. . Frenkel, C. . Félix-Novoa, C. . Quiguango-Ubillús, A. . amp . 2015 . Ron, S. R., Guayasamin, J. M., Yanez-Muñoz, M. H., Merino-Viteri, A., Ortiz, D. A. y Nicolalde, D. A. 2014. AmphibiaWebEcuador. Version 2014.0 . Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (QCAZ) . 17 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150321154958/http://zoologia.puce.edu.ec/Vertebrados/Anfibios/FichaEspecie.aspx?Id=1139 . 21 March 2015 . dead .
  4. Web site: Rhaebo colomai (Hoogmoed, 1985) . Acosta-Galvis, A.R. . 2015 . Lista de los Anfibios de Colombia V.05.2015 . www.batrachia.com . 17 September 2015.
  5. Hoogmoed, Marinus S.. 1985. A new genus of toads (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae) from the Pacific slopes of the Andes in Northern Ecuador and Southern Colombia, with the description of two new species. Zoologische Mededelingen. 59. 22. 251–274. 0024-0672. Leiden. PDF. 6 February 2014.
  6. Hoogmoed, Marinus S.. 1989. On the identity of some toads of the genus Bufo from Ecuador, with additional remarks on Andinophryne colomai Hoogmoed, 1985 (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae). Zoologische Verhandelingen. 250. 21vii. 1–32. 0024-1652. Leiden. 6 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140221175217/http://zoologia.puce.edu.ec/Vertebrados/Recursos/publicaciones/Cientifica/Hoogmoed1989.pdf. 21 February 2014. dead.

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