Pristimantis frater

Pristimantis frater is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is endemic to Colombia and occurs on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Oriental in the Norte de Santander, Boyacá, Casanare, Cundinamarca, and Meta Departments, as well as in the Serranía de la Macarena (Meta Department).[1][2][3] The population in the Serranía de la Macarena might represent a distinct species.[1] Common name Meta robber frog has been coined for it.[1][2]

Pristimantis frater
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Craugastoridae
Genus: Pristimantis
Subgenus: Pristimantis
Species:
P. frater
Binomial name
Pristimantis frater
(Werner, 1899)
Synonyms[2]
  • Hylodes frater Werner, 1899
  • Eleutherodactylus frater (Werner, 1899)

Description

Adult males measure 17–22 mm (0.7–0.9 in) and adult females, based on a single specimen, 25 mm (1.0 in) in snout–vent length. The head is as wide as the body and wider than it is long. The snout is subacuminate in dorsal view and round in lateral profile. The tympanum is prominent. The fingers have narrow lateral keels and the outer ones have also large pads. The toes have lateral keels and enlarged pads. The dorsum is pale brown with brown markings. Canthal stripe is usually absent. The venter has fine brown peppering; the throat is darker. Males have a subgular vocal sac.[4]

Habitat and conservation

Pristimantis frater occur in premontane humid forests at elevations of 800–1,600 m (2,600–5,200 ft)[1] or 877–3,000 m (2,877–9,843 ft) above sea level,[3] depending on the source. They can be found on low vegetation and have also been recorded from secondary forest. Reproduction is direct (i.e., without free-living larval stage).[1]

This species is common, but it suffers from habitat loss and degradation caused primarily by agriculture (crops and cattle ranching), but also by oil exploration and road infrastructure. It has been found in areas where Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is prevalent, but so far this species has tested negative. It is present in the Serranía de la Macarena and Tamá National Natural Parks. It might also be present in the immediately adjacent El Tamá National Park in Venezuela, but there are no records yet.[1]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2017). "Pristimantis frater". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T56606A85865088. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T56606A85865088.en.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Pristimantis frater (Werner, 1899)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  3. Acosta Galvis, A. R. & Cuentas, D. (2018). "Pristimantis frater (Werner, 1899)". Lista de los Anfibios de Colombia V8.2018. www.batrachia.com. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  4. Pyburn, W. F. & Lynch, J. D. (1981). "Two little-known species of Eleutherodactylus (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae) from the Sierra de la Macarena, Colombia". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 94: 404–412.
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