Noblella pygmaea
| Noblella pygmaea | ||||||||||||
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Noblella pygmaea |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Noblella pygmaea | ||||||||||||
| Lehr & Catenazzi , 2009 |
Noblella pygmaea is one of the smallest frogs in the world. The species belongs to the Craugastoridae family and is endemic to the Cusco region in Peru at altitudes over 3000 meters.
features
The females have a maximum body length of 12.4 millimeters, the males are a maximum of 11.1 millimeters long. With an average length of 11.4 millimeters, which was determined from a few specimens for the first description , Noblella pygmaea is the smallest species among the frogs of the Andes . Worldwide, among anurans only the Monte Iberia Eleuth from Cuba , the Brazilian semi toad Brachycephalus didactyla and the end of 2011 and early 2012 discovered species of the genus Paedophryne of the family -mouthed , including PAEDOPHRYNE AMAUENSIS with only 7 millimeters head-body length , smaller.
In terms of color, Noblella pygmaea is adapted to life on the ground in the fallen leaves. Its basic color is light brown with dark brown spots and spots. On the back and sides the frog shows dark brown, broken lines.
The eyes are also dark brown, with an orange ring.
Similar species
All species of the genus Noblella are smaller than 22 millimeters. Your head is narrower than your body. The first finger on the front limb is shorter than or equal to the second. On the hind limbs, the fifth toe protrudes over the third. Noblella pygmaea has three finger bones on the fourth finger. The species differs from the related species Noblella carrascoicola , Noblella lochites , Noblella myrmecoides and Noblella ritarasquinae , which have only two phalanges on the fourth finger. Noblella pygmaea differs from Noblella duellmani , native to central Peru, in the presence of a tympanum spanning the auditory organ . The northern Peruvian species Noblella heyeri and Noblella lynchi , like their relative Noblella peruviana living in southern Peru, have a callus on their soles, which Noblella pygmaea lacks. These features make it easy to distinguish Noblella pygmaea from all other species in the genus.
distribution and habitat
Noblella pygmaea inhabits the high-montane cloud forest and shrub communities on the fringes of the even higher Puna grasslands of the Peruvian high Andes. Only a few amphibians live in the altitude range between 3000 and 3200 meters preferred by Noblella pygmaea . At this altitude, Noblella pygmaea syntop occurs with Bryophryne nubilosus , another small frog from the Craugastoridae family, which can also be found at lower altitudes.
Noblella pygmaea is found mainly on the forest edges overgrown with bushes and herbaceous plants or in the so-called elven forests with gnarled, dwarfed trees and a herb layer with a high proportion of mosses.
Way of life
Noblella pygmaea lives on the ground in the fallen leaves of the evergreen cloud forests. The female usually only lays two eggs at the same time in damp leaves or under mosses and protects them from insects. Unusual, but typical of the entire Strabomantidae family, is a direct development from egg to young frog. The aquatic tadpole stage is skipped; instead, the larval development takes place within the eggs laid on land.
Whether the tiny size is an adaptation to the way of life at high altitude has not yet been conclusively clarified. In any case, the frog does not have to make long migrations to lay eggs and can complete its development in a small area. Due to its color matching and hidden way of life in the foliage, it is largely protected from predators.
Danger
Due to the special demands of Noblella pygmaea on the biotope , the range is limited. The frog is also relatively rare within the habitat suitable for it, only 30 to 75 frogs per hectare are found. The habitat of the frog is on the steep slopes in the upper part of the valley of the Río Cosñipata and was largely untouched by civilization for a long time. However , it was opened up by the construction of the road from Paucartambo to Pillcopata . Even if in future no urban sprawl will fragment the habitat of the little frog, there are still threats: Climate change can endanger the mountain cloud forests and their vegetation. The fungal infection of amphibians caused by the chytrid fungus ( Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ) could also deplete the populations of Noblella pygmaea . The fungus has already been identified in the Río Cosñipata valley. However, the frogs living in the cloud forests were not yet infected with the fungus at the time of the collection of the type specimens of Noblella pygmaea .
Taxonomy
The genus Noblella was named by the American zoologist Thomas Barbour in 1930 after his friend and fellow student Gladwyn Kingsley Noble . In 2008 the genus was re-established and now contains many species that were grouped together under the synonym Phyllonastes . Noblella pygmaea was also placed in the re-established genus Noblella when it was first described. The species name pygmaea comes from the Latinized form of the ancient Greek word pygmaios (πυγμαῖος, "mittens", "the size of a fist"), which is used today to mean "dwarfish" (see pygmies ). It refers to the smallness of the frog.
The frog was found near the Wayqecha research station at Pilcopata, which is part of the Parque Nacional del Manú .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Edgar Lehr and Alessandro Catenazzi: A new species of minute Noblella (Anura: Strabomantidae) from southern Peru: the smallest frog of the Andes. Copeia, pp. 148–156, 2009 doi: 10.1643 / CH-07-270 (abstracts, English and Spanish)
- ^ A b I. De la Riva, JC Chaparro and JM Padial: The taxonomic status of Phyllonastes Heyer and Phrynopus peruvianus (Noble) (Lissamphibia, Anura): resurrection of Noblella Barbour. Zootaxa, 1685, pp. 67–68, 2008 full text (PDF, English; 30 kB)
- ↑ Mini frog fascinates biologists Spiegel Online , Wissenschaft, April 6, 2009 (accessed November 4, 2010)
- ↑ Insidious frog enemy at FAZ -Net, from March 20, 2007 (accessed on November 5, 2010)
- ↑ Reserva de Biosfera del Manu ( Memento of the original of November 26, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
- ↑ Research at Wayqecha Cloud Forest Research Center of the Amazon Conservation Association (English)
literature
- Edgar Lehr and Alessandro Catenazzi: A new species of minute Noblella (Anura: Strabomantidae) from southern Peru: the smallest frog of the Andes. Copeia, pp. 148–156, 2009 (first description, English)
Web links
- Mini frog lives in the elven forest of Peru Die Welt -Online from April 6, 2009 (German, with picture gallery)
- Noblella pygmaea at Amphibiaweb
- Noblella pygmaea onthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2013.