Noblella lochites

Noblella lochites, also known as Ecuador leaf frog, is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is found on the Amazonian slopes of the Andes and Cordillera del Cóndor and the Cordillera de Cutucú in Ecuador and Peru;[2][4] the Peruvian record has been disputed, although it is nevertheless expected that the species occurs in Peru.[2]

Noblella lochites
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Craugastoridae
Genus: Noblella
Species:
N. lochites
Binomial name
Noblella lochites
(Lynch, 1976)
Synonyms[2]

Euparkerella lochites Lynch, 1976[3]
Phyllonastes lochites (Lynch, 1976)

Etymology

The specific name lochites is Greek for "a recluse", and refers to its type locality in the comparatively remote Cordillera del Cóndor.[3]

Description

Males measure 13–15 mm (0.51–0.59 in) and females 13–19 mm (0.51–0.75 in) in snout–vent length. There is a distinctive charcoal, dark brown, or black facial mask. Tympanumic annulus and membrane are clearly visible. Dorsum has well-defined scapular and sacral chevrons and pair of suprainguinal spots, although patterns differ among individuals and few specimens are nearly patternless. Venter is diffusely pigmented in adults but mottled in juveniles. There are small circular, white dots scattered across all body surfaces.[5]

Habitat and conservation

The species' natural habitat is cloud forest and old growth and secondary forest.[1] They are active by day, with males occasionally calling, and typically inhabit leaf litter or moss and root-covered sandy areas.[5]

Noblella lochites is a rarely encountered species, possibly because of its secretive habits. Land mines left during the Cenepa War offer protection for its range on the Cordillera del Cóndor.[1]

References
  1. Diego Cisneros-Heredia; Ana Almendáriz; Jorge Luis Martinez; Daniel Neira (2004). "Noblella lochites". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T57233A11606382. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T57233A11606382.en.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Noblella lochites (Lynch, 1976)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  3. Lynch, John D. (1976). "Two new species of frogs of the genus Euparkerella (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae) from Ecuador and Perú". Herpetologica. 32 (1): 48–53. JSTOR 3891900.
  4. Frenkel, C.; Guayasamín, J. M.; Yánez-Muñoz, M. H. & Ron, S. R. (2011–2014). "Noblella lochites". Ron, S. R., Guayasamin, J. M., Yanez-Muñoz, M. H., Merino-Viteri, A., Ortiz, D. A. and Nicolalde, D. A. 2014. AmphibiaWebEcuador. Version 2014.0. Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (QCAZ). Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  5. Harvey, M. B.; Almendáriz, A.; Brito-M., J.; Batallas-R., D. (2013). "A new species of Noblella (Anura: Craugastoridae) from the Amazonian slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes with comments on Noblella lochites (Lynch)". Zootaxa. 3635: 1–14. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3635.1.1.
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