| Atelopus certus | |
|---|---|
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| Male | |
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| Female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Bufonidae |
| Genus: | Atelopus |
| Species: | A. certus |
| Binomial name | |
| Atelopus certus Barbour, 1923 | |
| Synonyms | |
Atelopus certus, the Darien stubfoot toad or Toad Mountain harlequin frog, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Panama. [2]
The toad is endemic to the Darien region of eastern Panama, [1] and its type locality is Cerro Sapo (literally "toad mountain"), [2] giving it its common names Refrigerator [1] [2] and xylophone. [3]
Its natural habitats are tropical montane and submontane forests. It breeds in forest streams where the tadpoles also develop. [1]
The species is threatened primarily by the advancing wave of chytridiomycosis moving through Central America, and secondarily by habitat loss, although much of its range falls within the Darién National Park, a protected area and world heritage site. Because so many other Atelopus species are in steep declines, this amphibian is seen as a priority species for ex situ conservation. In June 2010, a team of conservation partners working under the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project mounted an expedition to the Darien and brought back a founding population of these frogs to begin an ex situ conservation program at Summit Municipal Park near Panama City. [3] A documentary film about this effort was aired in 2011 on Smithsonian Networks entitled Mission Critical: Amphibian Rescue.
Atelopus is a large genus of true toads, commonly known as harlequin toads or stubfoot toads, from Central and South America, ranging as far north as Costa Rica and as far south as Bolivia. Atelopus species are small, generally brightly colored, and diurnal. Most species are associated with mid-to-high elevation streams. This genus has been greatly affected by amphibian declines, and many species are now considered endangered, while others already are extinct. Almost 40% of the described species in the genus are considered possibly extinct; this is raised to 45% when data deficient species are added; this number may be even higher, given that the genus contains many undescribed species that could also be extinct, and many of the species considered critically endangered but extant may have gone extinct after the last surveys that detected them, or could go extinct in the future. While threatened by habitat loss, pollution, and introduced species, the primary cause of these declines appears to be the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. For example, there are 32 known Atelopus species in Ecuador. One of these is data deficient, two are endangered and the remaining are critically endangered. Almost half the Ecuador species have not been recorded in a decade or more and are likely extinct. In some species conservationists have established captive colonies as a safeguard. However, numerous Atelopus species have been rediscovered decades after their last sighting, such as A. arsyescue, A. mindoensis, A. bomolochos, A. ignescens, A. balios, A. longirostris, A. subornatus and A. varius.
The Panamanian golden frog, also known as Cerro Campana stubfoot toad and other names, is a species of toad endemic to Panama. Panamanian golden frogs inhabit the streams along the mountainous slopes of the Cordilleran cloud forests of west-central Panama. While the IUCN lists it as critically endangered, it may in fact have been extinct in the wild since 2007. Individuals have been collected for breeding in captivity in a bid to preserve the species. The alternative common name, Zetek's golden frog, and the epithet zeteki both commemorate the entomologist James Zetek.
Atelopus varius, the Costa Rican variable harlequin toad or clown frog, is a small Neotropical true toad from the family Bufonidae. Once ranging from Costa Rica to Panama, A. varius is now listed as critically endangered and has been reduced to a single remnant population near Quepos, Costa Rica and has only relict populations in western Panama (IUCN). Recent variation in air temperature, precipitation, stream flow patterns, and the subsequent spread of a pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) linked to global climate change have been the leading cause of decline for A. varius. A. zeteki has been considered a subspecies of A. varius, but is now generally considered a separate species.
The Guajira stubfoot toad or Carrikeri harlequin frog, Atelopus carrikeri, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is about 5 cm (2.0 in) long and typically black, though some populations have orange coloration. This species is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range of northern Colombia. It is critically endangered because of the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and habitat destruction due to agriculture. The species had not been seen from 1994 until it was rediscovered in early 2008.
Atelopus chiriquiensis, the Chiriqui harlequin frog or Lewis' stubfoot toad, is an extinct species of toad in the family Bufonidae that was found in the Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica and western Panama. Its natural habitats were stream margins in lower montane wet forests and rainforests. Its elevational range was 1,400–2,500 m (4,600–8,200 ft) asl.
The elegant stubfoot toad or Pacific jambato frog is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae found in lowlands and Andean slopes of northwest Ecuador to 1,140 m (3,740 ft) asl and on the Gorgona Island, off southwest coast of Colombia. It was described by George Albert Boulenger in 1882 based on a specimen collected by Edward Whymper. It is known in Spanish as rana jambato del Pacífico or simply jambato del Pacífico.
Atelopus farci, the forest stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Colombia and only known from its type locality, Granjas del Padre Luna, in Albán, Cundinamarca, on the western flank of the Cordillera Oriental at about 2,100 m (6,900 ft) above sea level. Its natural habitat is cloud forest where it lives in streams.
Atelopus glyphus, the Pirri harlequin frog or Pirri Range stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae found in Colombia and Panama within the Northwestern Andean montane forests. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers.
Atelopus limosus, the limosa harlequin frog is an endangered species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Panama. Its natural habitats are stream banks in tropical moist lowland forests and rivers of the Chagres watershed in central Panama.
The Mindo stubfoot toad or Mindo harlequin-toad is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Ecuador in Pichincha, Santo Domingo and Cotopaxi Provinces. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and rivers. It has a unique appearance and color pattern, being green and red with white speckles, and due to this it was once considered an emblematic species of the Mindo Valley.
Atelopus muisca is an extinct species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Colombia. Its natural habitats were subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The green and red venter harlequin toad or sapito arlequin de Pinango is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, and intermittent rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Atelopus planispina is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the eastern slopes of the Andes of Ecuador. According to the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, it is restricted to the Napo Province, although other sources suggest somewhat wider range. It has not been seen since 1985 and might already be extinct. Common names Planispina's harlequin frog, Napo stubfoot toad, and flat-spined atelopus have been coined for it.
The scarlet harlequin toad or sapito arlequin de Soriano is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss. It may already be extinct. The toad is among the 25 “most wanted lost” species that are the focus of Global Wildlife Conservation's “Search for Lost Species” initiative.
The Tamá harlequin frog or Venezuela stubfoot toad is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the Páramo de Tamá on the Venezuelan-Colombian border and occurs in Apure and (likely) Táchira states of Venezuela and Norte de Santander Department on the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia.
Atelopus eusebiodiazi is a species of toads in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to northwestern Peru and only known from its type locality in Huamba, near Ayabaca, Piura Region. The specific name eusebiodiazi honors Eusebio Diaz, taxidermist at the Museum of Natural History, Lima, and the collector of the holotype.
Atelopus pyrodactylus is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Peru and only known from its type locality in the northern section of the Río Huallaga basin, Department of San Martín, on the eastern slope of the Cordillera Central. The specific name pyrodactylus refers to the light orange fingers and toes of this frog.
The Chocó–Darién moist forests (NT0115) is an ecoregion in the west of Colombia and east of Panama. The region has extremely high rainfall, and the forests hold great biodiversity. The northern and southern parts of the ecoregion have been considerably modified for ranching and farming, and there are threats from logging for paper pulp, uncontrolled gold mining, coca growing and industrialisation, but the central part of the ecoregion is relatively intact.
