Atelopus oxyrhynchus

Atelopus oxyrhyncus is an endangered Central American amphibian species from the family of toads ( Bufonidae ).

Features

The body is 50 millimeters long and rather slender. On the legs, the sides and rear back large, smooth warts are present. The belly is gekörnelt or checkered. The coloration is very variable. They range from single color lemon yellow, with or without brick-red spots on his belly on top and yellow bottom orange-red to above olive- colored or olive- brown, with more or less dark brown spots, dark side stripe that extends to the front head end, and lemon-yellow below, with or without brown spots. The head is longer than wide. He is above all flat and falls off to the side.

The hull is two to two and a half times longer than the head. The forehead protrudes greatly and is pointed. The nostril is just as far from the eye as from the front end of the head. The interorbital space is much broader than an upper eyelid. The front legs are long. In females, they are slim. The fingers are moderately long and flattened. Their ends are slightly thickened. The first finger is well developed, but still very short and wide. The carpal and Subarticularhöcker are only dimly visible. The toes are much flattened and rather short. You are connected to about half their length webbed. The Subarticular and Metatarsalhöcker are only dimly discernible. The Tibitorsalgelenk sufficient when the hind leg is applied to the body, to the rear edge of the eye, or the eye to shoulder. Males possess an inner subgulare vocal sac.

Occurrence and life

The distribution area of Atelopus oxyrhyncus is restricted to cloud forests in the montane zone of the Cordillera de Mérida ( a branch of the Andes ) at an altitude 2100-3500 meters above sea level in the vicinity of the Venezuelan city of Mérida. Maybe it's there but already extinct.

Eggs are laid in chains in rivers. It is also where the tadpoles develop.

Population and risk

Atelopus oxyrhyncus is " critically endangered " by the IUCN ( Critically Endangered ) classified. The reason for this is the extreme stock slumps. In the last three generations, the total population has probably reduced by over 80%. This is inferred from the extinction of most populations, which may have been caused by chytridiomycosis. Another major threat is the destruction and degradation of habitat by agriculture, deforestation and mining.

Meanwhile, the species is extremely rare. While they could be encountered in normal quota of 1978 and 1985, was the last proof in 1994. Since then, all attempts to rediscover the way to fail.