Telmatobius

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Telmatobius
Telmatobius species from altiplan lakes in northern Chile.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Leptodactylidae
Subfamily: Telmatobiinae
Genus: Telmatobius
Wiegmann, 1834
Species

More than 50, see text.

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. All species are closely associated with water and some are entirely aquatic. It contains more than 50 species; the vast majority seriously threatened, especially from habitat loss, pollution, diseases (chytridiomycosis and nematode infections) and capture for human consumption. The huge Titicaca Water Frog (T. culeus), made famous by Jacques Cousteau, also faces these risks. 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.

The genus was first described by Arend Friedrich August Wiegmann in 1834. Telmatobius resembles Batrachophrynus (another Andean genus), and based on genetic evidence the latter should be merged into the former.

Species

Referecences

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Telmatobius
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