Pristimantis leptolophus

Pristimantis leptolophus is a species of frog in the family Strabomantidae. It is endemic to Colombia and known from the páramos of the Colombian Massif and Cordillera Central in the departments of Cauca and Huila.[3][4] The specific name leptolophus is derived from Greek leptos ("thin") and lophos ("crest") and refers to the low dorsolateral folds of this frog.[2] Common name volcano robber frog has been coined for it.[3]

Pristimantis leptolophus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Strabomantidae
Genus: Pristimantis
Subgenus: Pristimantis
Species:
P. leptolophus
Binomial name
Pristimantis leptolophus
(Lynch [fr], 1980)
Synonyms[3]
  • Eleutherodactylus leptolophus Lynch, 1980[2]

Description edit

Adult males measure 14–18 mm (0.55–0.71 in) and adult females 21–25 mm (0.83–0.98 in) in snout–vent length.[5] The snout is short, ovoid to subacuminate in dorsal view and rounded in lateral view. The tympanum is distinct, with raised annulus, although it is partly obscured by the supra-tympanic fold. Skin of the dorsum is smooth but has numerous low warts and short, low ridges. Both the fingers and the toes bear discs and lateral fringes. Preserved specimens have pale brown dorsum with darker brown markings (bars). The flanks have brown blotches.[2]

Habitat and conservation edit

Pristimantis leptolophus occurs in páramos and cloud forests at elevations of 2,400–3,300 m (7,900–10,800 ft) above sea level.[1][4] The species is active by night on vegetation as high as 1 metre above the ground, whereas during the day specimens can be found under rocks and logs on very humid soils.[1]

This species is very common and is not known to face significant threats. Its range includes the Nevado del Huila and Puracé National Natural Parks.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2018). "Pristimantis leptolophus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T56715A85869344. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T56715A85869344.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Lynch, J. D. (1980). "New species of Eleutherodactylus of Colombia (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae). I: Five new species from the paramos of the Cordillera Central". Caldasia. 13 (61): 165–188.
  3. ^ a b c Frost, Darrel R. (2022). "Pristimantis leptolophus (Lynch, 1980)". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b Acosta Galvis, A. R. & Cuentas, D. (2017). "Pristimantis leptolophus (Lynch, 1980)". Lista de los Anfibios de Colombia V.07.2017.0. www.batrachia.com. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  5. ^ Lynch, J. D. (1991). "New diminutive Eleutherodactylus from the Cordillera Central of Colombia (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae)". Journal of Herpetology. 25 (3): 344–352. doi:10.2307/1564595. JSTOR 1564595.