Ecuadorian Forest Toad

description

Description: Based on one adult female and six adult males; large-sized toad (female = 156.7 mm SVL, males = 92.8 – 127.0 mm, x = 105.6 ± 14.9 SVL); head narrower than body width, slightly wider than long. Head width slightly wider than at level of tympanum (female: HW / HL = 1.18; HW / SVL = 0.38; HL / SVL = 0.32; males: HW / HL = 1.13 – 1.17, x = 1.15 ± 0.15; HW / SVL = 0.37 – 0.39, x = 0.38 ± 0.08; HL / SVL = 0.32 – 0.34, x = 0.33 ± 0.10). Head subacuminate in dorsal view; snout slightly rounded to truncate dorsally, weakly rounded to truncate in lateral view. Tip of snout without fleshy vertical ridge. Distance between nostril and tip of snout / distance between nostril and eye = 0.12 in female, 0.21 – 0.31 (x = 0.26 ± 0.38) in males. Nostrils open posterior to anterior rim of mouth, below canthus rostralis in slightly swollen area. Nostrils oblique, oval, directed laterally. Dorsal edge of nostril rounded, ventral edge straight to concave. Distance between nostrils / distance between nostril and eye = 1.10 in female, 1.15 – 1.22 (x = 1.18 ± 0.28) in males. Internarial area flat to weakly concave. Top of head from snout to anterior corners of eyelids flat. Interorbital and occi

A new Amazonian species of Rhaebo (Anura: Bufonidae) with comments on Rhaebo glaberrimus (Günther, 1869) and Rhaebo guttatus (Schneider, 1799)

diagnosis

Diagnosis. A bufonid of genus Rhaebo (diagnosed on the basis of their lack of cephalic crests (except for the low parietals crests), their yellowish-orange skin secretions, presence of an omosternum and hypertrophied testes), of large-sized (SVL 156.7 mm in adult female, 92.8 – 127.0 mm in adult males) lacking a preocular ridge (Figure 1); having the cloacal opening near the middle level of thighs (Figure 4 C), rounded to slightly oval parotoids, and dark to cream brown groin (Figures 1, 2). Comparisons with other species: Rhaebo ecuadorensis is phenetically similar to R. glaberrimus and R. guttatus, and juveniles may be confused with R. blombergi (Myers and Funkhouser). Rhaebo glaberrimus (Figures 5, 6) differs by having the cloacal opening situated towards the ventral level of the thighs (Figures 4 A – B) [cloacal opening towards the middle level of thighs in R. ecuadorensis], smaller body size (49.6 – 64.6 mm SVL in adult males) [large body size (92.8 – 127.0 mm in adult males) in R. ecuadorensis], mainly smooth dorsal skin [dorsal skin warty, spiculae and coni in R. ecuadorensis], enlarged parotoid glands [rounded parotoid glands in R. ecuadorensis], and pink and yellow groin (

A new Amazonian species of Rhaebo (Anura: Bufonidae) with comments on Rhaebo glaberrimus (Günther, 1869) and Rhaebo guttatus (Schneider, 1799)

discussion

Remarks. Recently we found a specimen of Rhaebo (QCAZ 3812), collected in Taisha, Provincia de Morona Santiago, Ecuador, ca. 2 ° 20 ' 26 ” S 77 ° 27 ' 34 " W (Figure 3), phenetically similar to R. ecuadorensis. The specimen is an adult female with numerous eggs and well convoluted oviducts, of 94.0 mm SVL (versus 156.7 mm in the holotype of R. ecuadorensis). Externally we do not find marked differences other than SVL, to recognize this specimen as another different species, for this reason we refer this specimen to R. ecuadorensis, until more specimens are collected and studied. Aguilar et al. (2010) reported " Rhaebo glaberrimus " from Peru, between 300 - 1400 m a. s. l.; however, although we did not examine directly specimens from Peruvian Amazon, we confirmed the report of Rhaebo ecuadorensis to Peru from the picture provided by Schlüter (1981) of a specimen of Panguana (Figure 3), a tributary of the Rio Pachitea (at 9 ° 37 ' S 74 ° 56 ' W, ca. 260 m a. s. l.), clearly without preocular ridge. Rodriguez & Duellman (1994) reported a photograph of " R. glaberrimus " of a specimen from Iquitos region, but the photo quality is not very good, and it is not possible to distinguish wit

A new Amazonian species of Rhaebo (Anura: Bufonidae) with comments on Rhaebo glaberrimus (Günther, 1869) and Rhaebo guttatus (Schneider, 1799)

distribution

Distribution. Rhaebo ecuadoriensis is distributed across the Amazonian regions of southeastern Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru, at elevations between 215 – 1100 m a. s. l. (Figure 3). Although we do not examine directly the specimens reported by Lötters et al. (2000), according to their comments and personal observations of JJM (see Remarks) we conclude that Rhaebo ecuadorensis also is distributed from Central Amazon of Brazil and Bolivia.

A new Amazonian species of Rhaebo (Anura: Bufonidae) with comments on Rhaebo glaberrimus (Günther, 1869) and Rhaebo guttatus (Schneider, 1799)