Pristimantis xylochobates

Pristimantis xylochobates (synonym: Eleutherodactylus xylochobates ) is a Froschlurch from the more than 430 species comprising the genus Pristimantis. It is endemic in the Andes of Colombia.

Features

Pristimantis xylochobates most resembles Pristimantis appendiculatus, which is located in southern Colombia and Ecuador. How has this Related Pristimantis xylochobates a relatively long, pointed snout. The females are up to 5 inches long, the males remain quite small. The color is light brown with black spots. The hind legs are very long and narrow. Data is not webbed, but enlarged adhesive discs on the long toes and fingers.

Dissemination

Pristimantis xylochobates has only been on the Serranía de los Paraguas in the north of the Western Cordillera ( Cordillera Occidental ) of the Colombian Andes found. The sites are located in the border area of the two provinces of Chocó and Valle del Cauca. The species lives there at an altitude 2100-2250 meters above sea level. Their natural habitat is the still undisturbed subtropical cloud forests in the area. The deposit is threatened by planning a road along the Serranía de los Paraguas and was therefore set by the IUCN on the Red List of endangered species and considered "at risk " ( vulnerable ) classified. Currently, the population is stable.

Way of life

The frogs of the species Pristimantis xylochobates can be found on the lower vegetation within the forests. You can hold the adhesive discs of her toes and fingers on the leaves. For the development of young frogs no tadpole stage is necessary in a body of water. They develop directly in the womb in the eggs and are born alive. This, however, the number of boys per brood very limited. Incisions in the population dynamics, such as the disturbance of their habitat, can be very slow offset of this kind. Such interference can also be caused by a prolonged dry period, as observed for instance in July 1997 in Serranía de los Paraguas. Triggered by bacterial or fungal diseases also threaten the biodiversity of the frogs in western Colombia, which is regarded as unique in the world.

Systematics and Taxonomy

Pristimantis xylochobates was described in 1996 by John Douglas Lynch and Pedro Miguel Ruíz - Carranza as Eleutherodactylus xylochobates. 2007 Eleutherodactylus xylochobates of S. Blair Hedges, William E. Duellman and Matthew P. Heinicke was placed in the genus Pristimantis. This genus includes the South American species of the former large group Eleutherodactylus. In the still very species-rich genus Pristimantis Pristimantis xylochobates belongs to the subgenus Pristimantis ( Pristimantis ). 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 Strabomantidae were merged with the family Craugastoridae.