Atelopus balios

Atelopus balios, the Rio Pescado stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to southwestern Ecuador, with records from Pacific lowlands in Azuay, Cañar, and Guayas Provinces.[1][3] It is a rare species that was already suspected to be extinct,[1] but a single specimen was discovered in 2011 by a team from Conservation International during a hunt for missing amphibians.[4][5][6][7] The decline in amphibian populations is well documented. The Atelopus balios is Critically Endangered as a result of the widespread amphibian Chytridiomycosis fungus that has decimated other amphibian populations.[8] There are only 10 known findings of the tadpole, Atelopus balios.[9]

Atelopus balios
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae
Genus: Atelopus
Species:
A. balios
Binomial name
Atelopus balios
Peters, 1973[2]

Description

Adult males measure 27–29 mm (1.1–1.1 in)[4] and females 35–37 mm (1.4–1.5 in) in snout–vent length.[10] The snout is The limbs are long and slender. The fingers and toes are partially webbed.[2] The dorsum is olive green and is covered with rounded black spots that also extend to the limbs. The palms, soles, webbing, and perianal region are orange. The belly is almost totally cream yellow, except for the margins to which the black spots extend.[10] The tail makes up 52% of the total body length.[11]

Habitat and conservation

Its natural habitats are tropical lowland rainforests at elevations of 200–460 m (660–1,510 ft)[1] or 0–900 m (0–2,953 ft)[4] above sea level, depending on the source. It is nocturnal and associated with streams.[4] It is threatened by chytridiomycosis and habitat loss caused by agriculture, logging, and pollution. Its range does not include any protected areas.[1][4]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2018. Atelopus balios. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T54491A98640710. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T54491A98640710.en. Downloaded on 21 December 2018.
  2. Peters, James Arthur (1973). "The frog genus Atelopus in Ecuador (Anura: Bufonidae)". Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology (145): 1–49. doi:10.5479/si.00810282.145. S2CID 84672986.
  3. Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Atelopus balios Peters, 1973". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  4. Coloma, L. A.; et al. (2010–2015). "Atelopus balios". Ron, S. R., Guayasamin, J. M., Yanez-Muñoz, M. H., Merino-Viteri, A., Ortiz, D. A. and Nicolalde, D. A. 2016. AmphibiaWebEcuador. Version 2016.0. Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (QCAZ). Archived from the original on 2015-03-21. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  5. "Rio Pescado stubfoot toad | Atelopus balios • Rediscovered after 15 years in Ecuador". Species New to Science. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  6. "Ansonia latidisca". Smugmug.com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  7. "Global Search for 'lost' frogs yields few findings, important warnings - Conservation International". Conservation International. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  8. "Rio Pascado Stubfoot Toad - Atelopus balios - Details - Encyclopedia of Life". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  9. “The Tadpole of Atelopus Balios (Anura: Bufonidae) from the Pacific Lowlands of Ecuador.” Herpetologica, vol. 52, no. 1, 1996, pp. 66–70. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3892957
  10. Almendariz, Ana; Cisneros-Heredia, D.F. (2005). "Atelopus balios". In Rueda-Almonacid, J.V.; et al. (eds.). Ranas Arlequines. Libretas de Campo. Conservación Internacional. p. 59. ISBN 978-958-97690-4-1.
  11. “The Tadpole of Atelopus Balios (Anura: Bufonidae) from the Pacific Lowlands of Ecuador.” Herpetologica, vol. 52, no. 1, 1996, pp. 66–70. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3892957
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