Niceforonia brunnea, the Carchi Andes frog, is a species of frog in the family Strabomantidae.[1][3][4] It is found on the Andes of southern Colombia (Colombian Massif: Nariño Department[1][5]) and northern Ecuador (Carchi and Imbabura Provinces[4]). The specific name brunnea refers to its drab, brown coloration.[2]
| Niceforonia brunnea | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Strabomantidae |
| Genus: | Niceforonia |
| Species: | N. brunnea
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| Binomial name | |
| Niceforonia brunnea (Lynch, 1975)
| |
| Synonyms[3] | |
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Description
editAdult males measure 26–28 mm (1.0–1.1 in) and adult females, based on a single specimen, 30 mm (1.2 in) in snout–vent length.[2][4] The head is wider than it is long but narrower than the body. The snout is rounded. The tympanum is visible and the supratympanic fold is thick, partly obscuring the tympanum. The fingers and toes have no fringes nor webbing. The tips of the digits are rounded, without dilation. Preserved specimens are dorsally brown with indistinct darker mottling. The ventral surfaces are paler, varying from dusky gray to brown.[2] Living specimens are similarly drab.[4]
Habitat and conservation
editNiceforonia brunnea occurs in high-Andean forest and páramo at elevations of 2,950–4,100 m (9,680–13,450 ft) above sea level.[1] The type series was collected from under logs in a wet pasture.[2] They have also been found in holes.[1][4] Development is direct[1][4] (i.e., there is no free-living larval stage[6]).
Niceforonia brunnea can be locally common, but it is suspected that the overall population is declining. The major threat to it is habitat loss and degradation caused by the expansion of agricultural activities (illegal crops and livestock). Pollution from the use of agrochemicals is also a threat. It is present in at least one protected area.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2019). "Niceforonia brunnea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T57203A85895106. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T57203A85895106.en. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Lynch, J. D. (1975). "A review of the Andean leptodactylid frog genus Phrynopus". Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas. 35: 1–51 [14–16].
- ^ a b Frost, Darrel R. (2023). "Niceforonia brunnea (Lynch, 1975)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.2. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Frankel, C.; et al. (2022). Ron, S. R.; Merino-Viteri, A. & Ortiz, D. A. (eds.). "Niceforonia brunnea". Anfibios del Ecuador. Version 2022.0. Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (QCAZ). Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ Acosta Galvis, A. R. (2018). "Niceforonia brunnea (Lynch, 1975)". Lista de los Anfibios de Colombia: Referencia en linea V.13.2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ Vitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 166.