Telmatobius

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Telmatobius
Telmatobius.jpg
Telmatobius species from altiplano lakes in northern Chile.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Suborder: Neobatrachia
Superfamily: Hyloidea
Family: Telmatobiidae
Fitzinger, 1843
Genus: Telmatobius
Wiegmann, 1834
Diversity
63 species (see text)
Synonyms

BatrachophrynusPeters, 1873

Telmatobius is a genus of frogs native to the Andean highlands in South America, where they are found in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northwestern Argentina and northern Chile. [1] It is the only genus in the family Telmatobiidae. [2] Some sources recognize Batrachophrynus as a valid genus distinct from Telmatobius. [3] [4]

Ecology and conservation

All Telmatobius species are closely associated with water and most species are semi-aquatic, while a few are entirely aquatic. [5] They are found in and near lakes, rivers and wetlands in the Andean highlands at altitudes between 1,000 and 5,200 m (3,300–17,100 ft). [6] The genus includes two of the world's largest fully aquatic frogs, the Lake Junin frog (T. macrostomus) and Titicaca water frog (T. culeus), [7] but the remaining are considerably smaller. In terms of tadpoles, the species with the largest tadpoles tend to be in higher elevated streams and lakes. This includes the species T. culeus, T. macrostomus, T. mayoloi, and T. gigas. [8] Telmatobius contains more than 60 species; the vast majority seriously threatened, especially from habitat loss, pollution, diseases (chytridiomycosis and nematode infections), introduced trout, and capture for human consumption. [5] [9]

The three Ecuadorian species have not been seen for years and may already be extinct: T. cirrhacelis last seen in 1981, T. niger in 1994 and T. vellardi in 1987. [5] [9] Similarly, seven of the fifteen species in Bolivia have not been seen for years. [10] However, some might still be rediscovered: the Bolivian T. yuracare had not been seen in the wild in a decade and there was only a single captive male. A few wild individuals were located in 2019, thus ending the captive male's informal status as an endling (last survivor of the species). [10]

Species

There are currently 63 species recognized in the genus Telmatobius, [1] but the validity of some species is questionable and it is likely that undescribed species remain. [11] [12]


Related Research Articles

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<i>Telmatobius brachydactylus</i> Species of amphibian

Telmatobius brachydactylus, the Amable Maria frog, is an endangered species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae.

<i>Telmatobius macrostomus</i> Species of amphibian

Telmatobius macrostomus, also known as the Lake Junin (giant) frog or Andes smooth frog, is a very large and endangered species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. This completely aquatic frog is endemic to lakes and associated waters at altitudes of 4,000–4,600 m (13,100–15,100 ft) in the Andes of Junín and Pasco in central Peru. It has been introduced to slow-moving parts of the upper Mantaro River, although it is unclear if this population still persists.

Telmatobius dankoi, also known as the Loa water frog, is a species of critically endangered aquatic frog in the family Telmatobiidae. It is endemic to Chile and is only known from its type locality near Calama, in the El Loa province. Only 14 individuals are known from captivity following the destruction of its habitat prior to 2019, so it may already be extinct in the wild. However, it is doubtfully distinct from Telmatobius halli and thus may not be a distinct species.

Telmatobius gigas is a critically endangered species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. It is endemic to the Huayllamarca River at an altitude of about 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) in the Carangas Province in Bolivia. Its tiny range makes it highly vulnerable to pollution, and it may also be threatened by over-harvesting for medicinal use and the disease chytridiomycosis. As suggested by its scientific name, this is a very large species of frog with a snout-vent length of up to 10.9 centimetres (4.3 in) in females. In the genus Telmatobius, only two other threatened species, the Titicaca water frog and Lake Junin frog, are larger. T. gigas is very closely related to the smaller and more widespread T. marmoratus, and they might be conspecific.

Telmatobius halli is a species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. It is endemic to northern Chile and only known from its type locality near Ollagüe. The specific name halli honors Frank Gregory Hall, an American specialist on the effects of high altitudes on human body and collector of the type series. Its common name is Hall's water frog.

<i>Telmatobius marmoratus</i> Species of amphibian

Telmatobius marmoratus, the marbled water frog, is a vulnerable species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. The most widespread species in the genus, it is found in the Andean highlands of Bolivia, northern Chile and southern Peru. It may also occur in northwestern Argentina, but the taxonomic position of this population is unclear. This semiaquatic frog is found in and near streams, rivers, waterfalls, lakes and ponds.

Telmatobius pefauri is a species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. It is endemic to extreme northern Chile. It was already feared that this species is extinct, but recent research has suggested that the species is extant at several localities in the Arica y Parinacota Region, albeit at low numbers. Furthermore, morphological and genetic data suggest that Telmatobius zapahuirensis is a synonym of Telmatobius pefauri. Common name Arico water frog has been coined for this species.

Telmatobius timens is a species of frogs in the family Telmatobiidae. It is found in western Bolivia and southeastern Peru at elevations of 3,350–3,750 m (10,990–12,300 ft) asl.

Telmatobius vilamensis is a species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. It is endemic to northern Chile and only known from its type locality, Río Vilama near San Pedro de Atacama. The specific name vilamensis refers to the type locality. It may already be extinct, although it is doubtfully distinct from Telmatobius halli.

The Sehuencas water frog is a species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. It is endemic to Bolivia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, rivers, and freshwater marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss. No individuals were encountered in the wild between 2008 and 2019.

<i>Telmatobius culeus</i> Species of amphibian

Telmatobius culeus, commonly known as the Titicaca water frog or Lake Titicaca frog, is a medium-large to very large and endangered species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. It is entirely aquatic and only found in the Lake Titicaca basin, including rivers that flow into it and smaller connected lakes like Arapa, Lagunillas and Saracocha, in the Andean highlands of Bolivia and Peru. In reference to its excessive amounts of skin, it has jokingly been referred to as the Titicaca scrotum (water) frog.

<i>Telmatobius chusmisensis</i> Species of amphibian

Telmatobius chusmisensis is a species of frogs in the family Telmatobiidae. It is endemic to northern Chile and is only known from a number of localities in the Tarapacá Region. The specific name chusmisensis refers to its type locality, Chusmisa.

Telmatobius espadai, also known as the Inquisivi water frog, is a species of frogs in the family Telmatobiidae, one of fourteen species of Telmatobius water frogs endemic to Bolivia.

<i>Telmatobius ventriflavum</i> Species of amphibian

Telmatobius ventriflavum, the Andean Water Frog, is a species of water frogs from the western Andes in Peru.

Telmatobius mendelsoni is a species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. It was last seen in 1984 and is believed to be possibly extinct.

Telmatobius mantaro is a species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. It is endemic to the eastern Cordillera Central of the Peruvian Andes. The specific name mantaro refers to the Mantaro River running near the type locality.

References

  1. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Telmatobius Wiegmann, 1834". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  2. ↑ Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Telmatobiidae Fitzinger, 1843". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Blackburn, D.C.; Wake, D.B. (2011). "Class Amphibia Gray, 1825. In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3148: 39–55. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3148.1.8.
  4. ↑ "Telmatobiidae". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 Angulo, A. (2008). Conservation Needs of Batrachophrynus and Telmatobius Frogs of the Andes of Peru. Conservation & Society 6(4): 328-333. DOI: 10.4103/0972-4923.49196
  6. ↑ Victoriano, Muñoz-Mendoza, Sáez, Salinas, Muñoz-Ramírez, Sallaberry, Fibla and Méndez (2015). Evolution and Conservation on Top of the World: Phylogeography of the Marbled Water Frog (Telmatobius marmoratus Species Complex; Anura, Telmatobiidae) in Protected Areas of Chile. J.Hered. 106 (S1): 546-559. DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esv039
  7. ↑ Halliday, T. (2016). The Book of Frogs: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from around the World. University Of Chicago Press. ISBN   978-0226184654
  8. ↑ Barrionuevo, J. Sebastián (September 2018). "Growth and cranial development in the Andean frogs of the genus Telmatobius (Anura: Telmatobiidae): Exploring the relation of heterochrony and skeletal diversity". Journal of Morphology. 279 (9): 1269–1281. doi:10.1002/jmor.20855. ISSN   0362-2525.
  9. 1 2 Stuart, Hoffmann, Chanson, Cox, Berridge, Ramani and Young, editors (2008). Threatened Amphibians of the World. ISBN   978-84-96553-41-5
  10. 1 2 Mayer, L.R. (14 February 2019). "A Tale Of Two Frogs (And Some Of The Biologists Who Love Them)". Global Wildlife Conservation. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  11. ↑ De la Riva (2005). Bolivian frogs of the genus Telmatobius: synopsis, taxonomic comments, and description of a new species. Monogr. Herpetol. 7:65-101.
  12. ↑ Sáez, Fibla, Correa, Sallaberry, Salinas, Veloso, Mella, Iturra, and Méndez (2014). A new endemic lineage of the Andean frog genus Telmatobius (Anura, Telmatobiidae) from the western slopes of the central Andes. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 171: 769–782.
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