Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Articles
Published: 2010-05-25
Page range: 35–44
Abstract views: 29
PDF downloaded: 1

A new Pristimantis (Anura, Terrarana, Strabomantidae) from Churi-tepui in the Chimanta massif, Venezuelan Guayana

Fundación AndígenA, Apartado Postal 210, 5101-A Mérida, Venezuela Fundación Explora, Apartado Postal 51322 Caracas 1050-A. Venezuela
Fundación Explora, Apartado Postal 51322 Caracas 1050-A. Venezuela
US Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, National Museum of Natural History, Room 378, MRC 111, Washington, DC 20013-7012 USA
Amphibia Pristimantis new species Guiana Shield Venezuela tepui Chimanta massif

Abstract

A new species of the genus Pristimantis is described from Churi tepui, in the Chimanta massif, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela. The new species was discovered during the Muchimuk Expedition 2009, an ongoing speleological exploration of the Charles Brewer cave system, the largest sandstone cave on Earth. The species is known from only one female, collected near the mouth of the Muchimuk cave, in “non-gramineous tubiform meadows”. The new species can be distinguished from other Pristimantis on the highlands of the Guiana Shield by its unique coloration, indistinct tympanum, dorsal and ventral skin smooth, well-developed lateral fringes on the fingers and toes, and basal webbing on Toes III–V.

References

  1. Ayarzagüena, J., Señaris, J. & Gorzula, S. (1992) El grupo Osteocephalus rodriguezi de las tierras altas de la Guayana venezolana: Descripción de cinco nuevas especies. Memoria de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Salle, 52, 113–142.

    Barrio-Amorós. C.L. (2009) Riqueza y Endemismo. Pp, 25-39 in: C. Molina, J. C. Señaris, M. Lampo and A. Rial (eds), Anfibios de Venezuela; Estado del conocimiento y recomendaciones para su conservación. Ediciones Grupo TEI, Caracas.

    Barrio-Amorós, C.L. & Brewer-Carías, C. (2008) Herpetological results of the 2002 Expedition to Sarisariñama, a tepui in Venezuelan Guayana, with the description of five new species. Zootaxa, 1942, 1–68.

    Barrio-Amorós, C.L., Rivas, G. & Kaiser, H. (2006) New species of Colostethus (Anura: Dendrobatidae) from the Peninsula de Paria, Venezuela. Journal of Herpetology, 40, 371–377.

    Barrio-Amorós C.L., Rojas-Runjaic, F. & Barros, T.R.. (2010) Two new Pristimantis (Anura: Terrarana: Strabomantidae) from the Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela. Zootaxa, 2329, 1–21.

    Brewer-Carias, C. (2005) Las Espeleotemas de la Cueva Charles Brewer: 310–327. In: Tepuy, Colosos de la Tierra, (Ed. A. Michelangeli), Fundación Terramar, Altolitho, Caracas, 344p.

    Chacón, A., Mesa, J. & Mayoral, F. (2006) La Cueva Charles Brewer. FACES, 13, 28–53.

    Dayrat, B. (2005) Towards integrative taxonomy. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 85, 407–415.

    Duellman, W.E. (1997) Amphibians of La Escalera Region, Southeastern Venezuela: Taxonomy, Ecology and Biogeography. Scientific Papers of the Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, 2, 1–52.

    Duellman, W.E. & Lehr, E. (2009) Terrestrial breeding frogs (Strabomantidae) in Peru. NTV Science, Münster, 382 pp.

    Frost, Darrel R. (2010) Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 5.4 (8 April, 2010). Electronic Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.

    Fuentes, O. & Barrio-Amorós, C.L. (2004) A new Eleutherodactylus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) from Marahuaka tepui, Amazonas, Venezuela. Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias, 28, 285–290.

    Gorzula, S. (1988) Una nueva especie de Dendrobates (Amphibia: Dendrobatidae) del Macizo del Chimantá, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela. Memoria de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Salle, 48, 143–149.

    Gorzula, S. (1992) La herpetofauna del macizo del Chimantá: 267–280. In: O. Huber (Ed.) El Macizo del Chimantá, Escudo de Guayana. Venezuela. Un ensayo ecológico tepuyano. Oscar Todtmann Editores, Caracas, 343 p.

    Gorzula, S. & Señaris, J.C. (1998) Contribution to the herpetofauna of the Venezuelan Guayana. I. A data base. Scientia Guaianae, 8, 1–267 pp.

    Hedges, S.B., Duellman, W.E. & Heinicke, M.P. (2008) New world direct-developing frogs (Anura: Terrarana). Molecular phylogeny, classification, biogeography and conservation. Zootaxa, 1737, 1–182.

    Heinicke, M.P., Duellman, W.E., Trueb, L., Means, D.B., MacCulloch, R.D. & Hedges, S.B. (2009) A new frog family (Anura: Terrarana) from South America and an expanded direct-developing clade revealed by molecular phylogeny. Zootaxa, 2009, 1–35.

    Huber, O. (1995) Vegetation, 97–160. In: Berry, P.E. Holst, B.K. & Yatskievych, K. (Eds). Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Vol.1. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.

    La Marca, E. (1992) Catálogo taxonómico, biogeográfico y bibliográfico de las ranas de Venezuela. Cuadernos Geográficos ULA, Mérida 9, 1–197.

    Lynch, J.D. & Duellman, W.E. (1997) Frogs of the genus Eleutherodactylus (Leptodactylidae) in Western Ecuador: Systematics, Ecology and Biogeography. University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Special Publications, 23, 1–236.

    McDiarmid, R.W. & Donnelly, A. (2005) The herpetofauna of the Guayana Highlands: amphibians and reptiles of the Lost World, 461–560. In: Donnelly, M.A., Crother, B.I., Guyer, C., Wake, M.H. & White, M.E. (Eds.), Ecology and Evolution in the Tropics: A Herpetological Perspective, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois.

    Myers, C.W. & Donnelly, M.A. (1996) A new herpetofauna from Cerro Yaví, Venezuela: first results of the Robert G. Goelet American Museum-Terramar expedition to the northwestern tepuis. American Museum Novitates, 3172, 1–56.

    Myers, C.W. & Donnelly, M.A. (1997) A tepui herpetofauna on a granitic mountain (Tamacuari) in the borderland between Venezuela and Brazil. Report of the Phipps-Tapirapecó Expedition. American Museum Novitates, 3213, 1–71.

    Myers, C.W. & Donnelly, M.A. (2008) The summit herpetofauna of Auyantepui, Venezuela: Report from the Robert G. Goelet American Museum-TERRAMAR Expedition. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 308, 1–147.

    Rivero, J.A. (1961) Salientia of Venezuela. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 126, 1–267.

    Rödder, D. & Jungfer, K.H. (2007) A new Pristimantis (Anura, Strabomantidae) from Yuruaní-tepui, Venezuela. Zootaxa, 1814, 58–68.

    Roze, J.A. (1958) Los reptiles de Chimantá tepui (Estado Bolívar, Venezuela) colectados por la expedición botánica del Chicago Natural History Museum. Acta Biological Venezuelica, 2, 299–314.

    Schlüter, A. & Rödder, D. (2007) Three new frogs of the genus Eleutherodactylus (Amphibia, Leptodactylidae) from Guaiquinima table mountain, Bolivar, Venezuela. Herpetotopicos, 3, 88–99.

    Señaris, J.C., Ayarzagüena, J. & Gorzula, S. (1996) Revisión taxonómica del género Stefania (Anura; Hylidae) en Venezuela, con la descripción de cinco nuevas especies. Publicaciones de la Asociación Amigos de Doñana, 7, 1–55.

    Smída, B., Audy, M., Mayoral, F. & Carnicero, L.A. (2004) Expedition Chimantá 2004, or discovering of Cueva Charles Brewer - the largest quartzite cave in the world. Bulletin of the Slovak Speleological Society, 35, 3–14.

    Smída, B., Audy, M. & Mayoral, F. (2005) Cueva Charles Brewer, The largest quartzite cave in the world. NSS News, January-issue 2005, 13–31. The National Speleological Society. USA.

    Stuart, S.N., Hoffman, M., Chanson, J., Cox, N., Berridge, R., Ramani, P. & Young, B. (Eds.) (2008) Threatened Amphibians of the World. Lynx Editions, Barcelona, Spain; IUCN, Gland. Switzerland; Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia, U.S.A.