| Atelopus halihelos | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Bufonidae |
| Genus: | Atelopus |
| Species: | A. halihelos |
| Binomial name | |
| Atelopus halihelos Peters, 1973 | |
Atelopus halihelos, the Morona-Santiago stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss. [1] It is also threatened by the amphibian chytridiomycosis panzootic, which is a great factor to biodiversity loss. [2] The IUCN estimates that there's only 0-49 individuals left in the wild. [1]
An individual named Sad Santiago was one of the last remaining of the species. An expedition, led by Jaime Culebras, aimed to breed him with a female he found in the cloud forest of the Ecuadorian Andes. [3]
While they did not successfully produce any eggs, another expedition was sent and found 1 male and 1 female which successfully produced offspring, raising hope this species can be saved. [3]
