Aromobates

Aromobates
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Aromobatidae
Subfamily: Aromobatinae
Genus: Aromobates
Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991
Type species
Aromobates nocturnus
Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991
Diversity
18 species (see text)
Synonyms

Nephelobates La Marca, 1994

Aromobates, sometimes known as the skunk frogs, is a genus of frogs from the Andes of Venezuela and Colombia. Originally a monotypic genus consisting of the skunk frog, Aromobates nocturnus alone, it was later[1] expanded to include Nephelobates. These frogs are difficult to differentiate from Allobates without using molecular markers.[2]

Etymology

The generic name derives from the Latin aroma, meaning "sweet odor".[3] The odor of the type species, Aromobates nocturnus, is reminiscent of a skunk.[4][5]

Description

Aromobates are small to medium-sized frogs that have cryptic colouration. They have robust body form and basal to extensive toe webbing. For example, the relatively small Aromobates meridensis and Aromobates walterarpi are around 3 cm (1.2 in) in snout–vent length and have basal webbing only, whereas the relatively large Aromobates nocturnus (up to 62 mm (2.4 in) SVL in females) have webbed feet.[5]

Species

There are 18 species,[2] many of them endangered:[6]

References

  1. Grant, T.; Frost, D. R.; Caldwell, J. P.; Gagliardo, R.; Haddad, C. F. B.; Kok, P. J. R.; Means, D. B.; Noonan, B. P.; Schargel, W. E. & Wheeler, W. (2006). "Phylogenetic systematics of dart-poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia, Athesphatanura, Dendrobatidae)" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 299: 1–262.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Aromobates Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  3. "aroma". Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper.
  4. F. Harvey Pough et al. (2004). Herpetology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. p. 92. ISBN 0-13-100849-8.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Vitt, Laurie J.; Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 487.
  6. IUCN (2014). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>". Retrieved 15 August 2014.