Pristimantis appendiculatus

Pristimantis appendiculatus (synonym: Eleutherodactylus appendiculatus ) is a Froschlurch from the more than 430 species comprising the genus Pristimantis. It is common in the extreme southern Colombia and Ecuador.

Features

Particularly striking at Pristimantis appendiculatus is its relatively long, pointed snout with a fleshy, cone -shaped extension that stands out especially in the lateral view. The females are 3 to a maximum of 3.5 inches long, the males have a head-body length of about 2 centimeters. The color is light brown with black spots. The hind legs are very long and narrow. There are no webs, but enlarged adhesive discs on the long toes and fingers. Pristimantis xylochobates from Colombia resembles Pristimantis appendiculatus most.

Dissemination

Pristimantis appendiculatus occurs only on the western slopes of the Andes in southern Colombia and Ecuador. These extend in Ecuador in the provinces of Cotopaxi, Imbabura, Pichincha and Santo Domingo. In neighboring Colombia, the species is described only from the Departamento de Narino, but it is assumed that there is a connection of these distribution areas.

From the first description in 1894 until the 1970s it was assumed Pristimantis appendiculatus come from the rainforests of the lowlands of Ecuador. In various expeditions, however, it turned out that it is native to the cloud forests of the Andes in height steps 1460-2800 meters. In the Bosque Protector Mindo - Nambillo, a forest reserve in Ecuador, the frog occurs in many places, as well as in the surrounding cloud forest in the province of Pichincha. Another reserve, which overlaps with the area of ​​distribution of the frog, is the Ecological Reserve Los Illinizas.

Way of life

The frogs of the species Pristimantis appendiculatus can be found on the lower vegetation within the forests. You can hold on to the holdfasts of her toes and fingers on the leaves. They are primarily nocturnal. For the development of young frogs no tadpole stage is necessary in a body of water. They develop directly into the eggs. The Neotropical frogs with direct development are included in the group of Terrarana.

Systematics and Taxonomy

Pristimantis appendiculatus was described in 1894 by Franz Werner, as Hylodes appendiculatus. The holotype is in the Natural History Museum in Vienna. Later Hylodes appendiculatus was placed in the genus Antilles Pfeiffrösche ( Eleutherodactylus ). In 2007, the most South American Eleutherodactylus species placed in the genus Pristimantis rebuilt with the exception of some species from the Southeast of Brazil, by S. Blair Hedges, William E. Duellman and Matthew P. Heinicke. The large family of Südfrösche, which included the genus after view at that time was divided into several families and 2008 all Pristimantis - species of the family Strabomantidae have been assigned. 2011, however, the family Strabomantidae was merged with the family Craugastoridae and within the new family, the subfamily Pristimantinae built, who is also Pristimantis appendiculatus.