Atelopus oxyrhynchus
| Atelopus oxyrhynchus | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Atelopus oxyrhynchus | ||||||||||||
| Boulenger , 1903 |
Atelopus oxyrhynchus is an endangered or already extinct Central American amphibian from the genus of the stumpy-footed frogs (Atelopus).
features
The body is 50 millimeters long and quite slim. There are large, smooth warts on the legs, sides, and back. The belly is pebbled or pitted. The coloring is very variable. It ranges from monochrome lemon yellow, with or without brick-red spots on the belly to yellow above and orange-red below to olive-colored or olive-brown above with more or less dark brown spots, dark side stripes that extend to the front end of the head, and lemon yellow below with or without brown spots . The head is longer than it is wide. It is very flat at the top and slopes down to the side.
The trunk is two to two and a half times longer than the head. The forehead protrudes strongly and is pointed. The nostril is as far from the eye as it is from the front end of the head. The interorbital space is considerably wider than an upper eyelid. The front legs are long. In the females they are slender. The fingers are moderately long and flattened. Their ends are slightly thickened. The first finger is well developed, but still very short and wide. The carpal and subarticular cusps can only be seen indistinctly. The toes are very flattened and quite short. They are about half their length with webbed connected. The subarticular and metatarsal cusps are only indistinctly visible. When the hind leg is in contact with the body, the tibitoral joint extends to the rear edge of the eye or between the eye and shoulder. Males have an inner, subgular vocal sac .
Occurrence and way of life
The distribution area of Atelopus oxyrhynchus is limited to the cloud forests in the montane zone of the Cordillera de Mérida (a foothill of the Andes ) at an altitude of 2100 to 3500 meters above sea level in the vicinity of the Venezuelan city of Mérida . It may have already died out there.
The eggs are laid in chains in rivers. This is also where the tadpoles develop.
Population and Vulnerability
Atelopus oxyrhynchus is classified as "Critically Endangered" by the IUCN . The reason for this is the extreme collapse in stocks. In the last three generations, the total population has probably decreased by over 80%. This is inferred from the extinction of most of the populations, which may have been caused by chytridiomycosis . Another major threat is habitat destruction and degradation from agriculture, deforestation and mining.
The species is now extremely rare. While it could still be found in normal numbers in 1978 and 1985, the last record was in 1994. Since then, all attempts to find the species have failed.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Fritz Nieden: Anura II . In: FE Schulze, W. Kükenthal, K. Heider (eds.): Das Tierreich , Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin and Leipzig 1926, page 79.
- ↑ a b c d Atelopus oxyrhynchus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: Enrique La Marca, Irwin García, Rubén Albornoz, Juan Elías García-Pérez, 2004. Retrieved on April 5 of 2010.