Andinophryne colomai

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Andinophryne colomai
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae
Genus: Andinophryne
Species: A. colomai
Binomial name
Andinophryne colomai
Hoogmoed, 1985

Andinophryne colomai is a species of toad endemic to Ecuador. It is listed as a critical endangered species due to a restricted range and habitat loss.

Contents

[edit] Detailed Documentation

[edit] Range

This species is known only from the type locality ("Cabacera del Rio Baboso, cerca a Lita', Carchi Province, Ecuador"), and one other locality close by in the province of Carchi, in the north-western Andes of Ecuador. It has been recorded from 1,180 to 1,400m asl.

[edit] Population

It is a very rare species, and there have been no records since September 1984. Subsequent visits to the type locality have failed to find any individuals.

[edit] Habitat and Ecology

The holotype was collected on a branch some 50cm above the ground in the forest of a small creek at night (Hoogmoed 1985). A male was collected at night sitting on a tree trunk in a creek, while a female was collected in the afternoon on the forest floor near a creek. The stomach of a female was crammed with ants (Hoogmoed 1989).

[edit] Threats

The type locality has been severely impacted by habitat destruction as a result of agriculture and logging. In addition, spraying of herbicides in Colombia to control crops is polluting the species' habitat. An unknown intrinsic factor may also be responsible for the species' scarcity.