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Issue: Vol. 4318 No. 3: 8 Sept. 2017
Type: Article
Published: 2017-09-08
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4318.3.5
Page range: 520–530
Abstract views: 56
PDF downloaded: 1

A new terrestrial frog (Anura: Craugastoridae) from the montane cloud forests of the southeastern Ecuadorian Andes

Laboratorio de Herpetología, Museo de Zoología de la Universidad del Azuay MZUA, Av. 24 de Mayo 7–77, P.O. box 01-01-981, Cuenca, Ecuador. Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad del Ecuador, Pasaje Rumipamba 341 y Av. de los Shyris, Postal code 17–07–8976, Quito-Ecuador. Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4110 Libra Drive, Orlando, FL 32816, USA.
Laboratorio de Herpetología, Museo de Zoología de la Universidad del Azuay MZUA, Av. 24 de Mayo 7–77, P.O. box 01-01-981, Cuenca, Ecuador.
Laboratorio de Herpetología, Museo de Zoología de la Universidad del Azuay MZUA, Av. 24 de Mayo 7–77, P.O. box 01-01-981, Cuenca, Ecuador.
Escuela de Biología, Ecología y Gestión, Universidad del Azuay, Av. 24 de Mayo 7–77, P.O. box 01.01.981, Cuenca, Ecuador.
Laboratorio de Herpetología, Museo de Zoología de la Universidad del Azuay MZUA, Av. 24 de Mayo 7–77, P.O. box 01-01-981, Cuenca, Ecuador. Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad del Ecuador, Pasaje Rumipamba 341 y Av. de los Shyris, Postal code 17–07–8976, Quito-Ecuador.
Amphibia Brachycephaloidea montane forest Morona Santiago new species Pristimantis Terrarana

Abstract

We describe a new species of Pristimantis from the Tinajillas-Rio Gualaceño Ecological Conservation Area, Morona Santiago province, an area of montane forest in the southeastern Andes of Ecuador. Pristimantis nimbus sp. nov. is similar to P. altamazonicus, P. ardyae, P. bambu, P. bellator, P. caeruleonotus, P. cethospilus, P. churuwiai, P. croceoinguinis, P. cryptomelas, P. diadematus, P. flavobracatus, P. gualacenio, P. nigrogriseus, P. ventrimarmoratus, and P. versicolor from which it can be distinguished by the presence of flash marks on flanks, groin, and arm insertion composed of bright-yellow oval spots and blotches surrounded by dark brown to black, forming a reticulated pattern, by having slightly enlarged toe pads, a finely shagreen dorsum lacking dorsal folds, and males having nuptial pads but lacking vocal slits. Pristimantis nimbus sp. nov. is only known from the type locality, at elevations between 2200–2400 masl. All individuals of the new species were found at night, perching on leaves and branches between 80 cm to 150 cm above the ground. The analysis of stomach contents rendered a total of 17 prey items of different unidentified species in five orders (Aranae, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera). Other species found in the area are Pristimantis aff. altamnis, P. galdi, P. proserpens, P. tinajillas, P. versicolor, Rhinella margaritifera, Noblella sp. and three unidentified species of Pristimantis.

 

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