Chaunus amabilis
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| Chaunus amabilis | ||||||||||||||
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| Chaunus amabilis Pramuk & Kadivar, 2003 |
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Bufo amabilis |
Chaunus amabilis is a species of toad in the Bufonidae family. It is endemic to Ecuador, only occurring in a severely-fragmented area less than 100 km² (38.61 sq mi).[1] Its natural habitats are freshwater marshes and irrigated land.
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[edit] Range
This species is known only from elevations of 2,050 m (6,726 ft)-2,200 m (7,218 ft) above sea level in the Loja Basin, an inter-Andean valley in Loja Province, Ecuador.[2] It is likely to have a restricted distribution, and recent surveys confirm this.
[edit] Conservation status
It is currently listed as Critically Endangered, in view of its small and fragmentary extent of occurrence and the fact that there is a continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat.[1]
The apparent declines of this species might in part be due to the modification of much of the Loja basin area for agriculture, urbanization, and other regional development. It appears that populations of this toad in the area surrounding Provincia Loja have been severely affected by human activities.[2] Disease might also be a factor but there is no evidence to confirm this.[1]
[edit] Population
Past collections indicate that the species was fairly common at areas nearby creeks, even near plantations; however, surveys undertaken between 1989 and 2001 failed to find the species. It appears that it has not been collected since 1968, and a serious decrease might have taken place.[3]
[edit] Habitat and Ecology
The species has been collected in small pools and irrigation canals. Little is known of its habitat requirements or ecology, but breeding is presumed to take place in freshwater by larval development.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Pramuk and Kadivar (2003). Bufo amabilis. Global Amphibian Assessment. Retrieved on 2007-11-29.
- ^ a b Pramuk, J.B. and Kadivar, F. (2003). "A new species of Bufo (Anura: Bufonidae) from southern Ecuador". Herpetologica 59 (2): 270–283. doi:.
- ^ a b Coloma, L.A. (2006). Bufo amabilis. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved on 2007-11-29.
- Frost, Darrel (2006). "The Amphibian Tree of Life". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 297: 1–371. doi:.
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