Tag Archives: Bufonidae

Atelopus onorei Coloma, Lötters, Duellman & Miranda-Leiva

Onore’s Stub-foot Toad (Atelopus onorei)

Onore’s Stub-foot Toad was described in 2007, it is so far known only from the two localities in the Azuay Basin in the Cordillera Occidental in Ecuador, where it was discovered in 1990.

The species was photographed alive, the ground color of most individuals was orange-yellow, the dorsal areas of the males were variably colored bright green. The most conspicuous character of this species, however, were the aqua-blue colored iris of their eyes.

Onore’s Stub-foot Toad was never found again since its discovery and is believed to be already extinct.

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References:

[1] Luis A. Coloma; Stefan Lötters; William E. Duellman; Alfonso Miranda-Leiva: A taxonomic revision of Atelopus pachydermus, and description of two new (extinct?) species of Atelopus from Ecuador (Anura: Bufonidae). Zootaxa 1557: 1-32. 2007

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edited: 07.05.2019

Atelopus petersi Coloma, Lötters, Duellman & Miranda-Leiva

Peters’ Stub-foot Toad (Atelopus petersi)

Peters’ Stub-foot Toad was described in 2007, the species is, respectively was restricted to a small area in Napo Province in the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes in Ecuador. A population that was found in the adjacent Chimborazo Province may also be referable to this species, but this has apparently not be proven yet.

The species was first collected in 1968, the last record of a live individual took place in 1993, when a female was collected, the very last record finally dates from 1996, when a last dead specimen was found.

Peters’ Stub-foot Toad reaches sizes of about 4,3 to 5 cm in females and 3,5 to 4,2 cm in males; The coloration is quite variable, the dorsal areas are bright yellow, with white pustules and warts, most individuals have a white ventral surface, some show orange areas or spots, and some have red bellies. [1] 

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References:

[1] Luis A. Coloma; Stefan Lötters; William E. Duellman; Alfonso Miranda-Leiva: A taxonomic revision of Atelopus pachydermus, and description of two new (extinct?) species of Atelopus from Ecuador (Anura: Bufonidae). Zootaxa 1557: 1-32. 2007

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edited: 07.05.2019

Atelopus sorianoi La Marca

Scarlet Stub-foot Toad (Atelopus sorianoi)

The Scarlet Stub-foot Toad was described in 1983, it was restricted to the vicinity of a single stream in an isolated cloud forest named Paramito de San Francisco near the town of Guaraque, in Mérida State, Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela.

Both sexes were very distinctly bright orange colored.

The Scarlet Stud-foot Toad is now most certainly extinct, it disappeared due to habitat loss, yet another reason for its disappearance were severe dry seasons which coincided with epidemic events caused by the deadly fungal chytridiomycosis disease.

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edited: 10.09.2019

Atelopus boulengeri Peracca

Boulenger’s Stub-foot Toad (Atelopus boulengeri)

Boulenger’s Stubfoot Toad was described in 1904, the species is known from only six places in the provinces of Morona-Santiago and Loja in the eastern Andes of Ecuador, where it was last seen in 1984.  

The reasons for the disappearance of this species are the same as for most of the other extinct amphibian species: habitat loss and the fungal disease chytridiomycosis.  

Boulenger’s Stubfoot Toad is now most probably extinct.

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edited: 10.09.2019

Atelopus chiriquiensis Shreve

Chiriqui Stub-foot Toad (Atelopus chiriquiensis)

The Chiriqui Stub-foot Toad was described in 1936, it was restricted to a small range in the vicinity of the Chiriquí Viejo River in the Chiriquí Province, Panama.

The species fell victim to the spread of the fungal chytridiomycosis disease, which is deadly to amphibians, in the 2000s, it was not recorded in field surveys undertaken in 2012 and is now feared to be already extinct. [1]

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References:

[1] Rachel Perez; Corinne L. Richards-Zawacki; Alexander R. Krohn; Matthew Robak; Edgardo J. Griffith; Heidi Ross; Brian Gratwicke; Roberto Ibáñez; Jamie Voyles: Field surveys in western Panama indicated populations of Atelopus varius frogs are persisting in regions where Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is now enzootic. Ambiphian & Reptile Conservation 8(2): 30-35. 2014

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edited: 10.09.2019

Atelopus planispina Jiménez de la Espada

Napo Stub-foot Toad (Atelopus planispina)

The Napo Stub-foot Toad was described in 1875, the species was found very abundantely near a place named San José de Moti, which today is named San José de Mote in the Napo Province of eastern Ecuador, it inhabited humid montane forests at elevations of 1000 to 2000 m.

The species fed on beetles, insect larvae and even scorpions (based on the dissection of at least one sindividual). [1]

The Napo Stub-foot Toad was last seen in 1985, it appears to have be among the first amphibian species that have disappeared due to the deadly fungal chytridiomycosis disease.

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References:

[1] Marcos Jiménez de la Espada: Vertrebrados del viaje al Pacifico : verificado de 1862 a 1865 por una comisión de naturalistas enviada por el Gobierno Español. Madrid: M. Ginesta 1875 

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edited: 10.09.2019

Altiphrynoides osgoodi (Loveridge)

Osgood’s Ethiopian Toad (Altiphrynoides osgoodi)  

Osgood’s Ethiopian Toad was described in 1932, it inhabited tropical montane forests in some areas east of the Great Rift Valley in south-central Ethiopia.

The species was last found in 2003, despite extensive surveys, it could not be rediscovered and is now possibly extinct.

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edited: 30.04.2021

Atelopus arthuri Peters

Arthur’s Stub-foot Toad (Atelopus arthuri)

Arthur’s Stub-foot Toad was described in 1973, this beautiful littles species occurred in moist montane forests at three localities in the Andes of the Chimborazo Province, Ecuador.

The species was last recorded in 1988, it was never seen since and is now considered most certainly extinct, the reason for its disappearance is the deadly chytridiomycosis fungal disease, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Longcore, Pessier & D. K. Nichols..

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©Luis A. Coloma 
www.anfibioswebecuador.ec  

(by courtesy of Néstor Acosta)

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edited: 10.09.2019

Atelopus pinangoi Rivero

Pinango Stub-foot Toad (Atelopus pinangoi)

The Pinango Stub-foot Toad also known as Green And Red Venter Harlequin Toad was described in 1982, it is, or was restricted to the forest around the village of Piñango in the Estado Mérida in eastern Venezuela, where it formerly was said by the locals to have been very abundant.

The species was distinctly yellowish colored.

The Pinango Stub-foot Toad suffered from habitat destruction that left the forests it inhabited highly fragmented, and from the introduction of exotic trouts into the local rivers, which again very probably fed on the tadpoles.

The species appears now to be extinct.

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References:

[1] Enrique La Marca: Venezuelan Harlequin Frogs: In the face of extinction? Reptilian Magazine 3(8):22-24. 1995

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edited: 10.09.2019

Atelopus angelito Ardila-Robayo & Ruíz-Carranza

Angelito Stub-foot Toad (Atelopus angelito)

The Angelito Stub-foot Toad was described in 1998; it is known from two localities, one in Colombia and the other one in northern Ecuador (only based on museum specimens).

The species is beautifully green colored with a rather yellowish green under side.

The Angelito Stub-foot Toad was already nearly extinct when it was described and only few specimens were found; it was last recorded in 2000 and appears to be extinct now.

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References:

[1] Luis A. Coloma; William E. Duellman; Ana Almendáriz C.; Santiago R. Ron; Anrea Terán-Valdez; Juan M. Guayasamin: Five new (extinct?) species of Atelopus (Anura: Bufonidae) from Andean Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Zootaxa 2574: 1-54. 2010

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edited: 17.08.2022