Epipedobates machalilla

Epipedobates machalilla is a slender species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. Endemic to West Ecuador, it lives in dry and low forests and was first described by Luis A. Coloma in 1995.[1][2][3] The IUCN have classed it as "least concern".[1]

Epipedobates machalilla

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Dendrobatidae
Genus: Epipedobates
Species:
E. machalilla
Binomial name
Epipedobates machalilla
(Coloma, 1995)
Synonyms[2]
  • Colostethus machalilla Coloma, 1995

Description

Epipedobates machalilla has a snout–vent length of 14.4 to 16 millimetres (0.57 to 0.63 in) for males and 15.0 to 17.6 millimetres (0.59 to 0.69 in) for females. Their heads are longer than they are wide, and the tympanum is small. The forelimbs have a moderate length and the fingers are unwebbed. The toes do not have lateral fringes and the terminal discs are expanded. It is dark-coffee in colour with a gold iris and cream ventral surfaces.[3]

Biology

The mating system of the Epipedobates machalilla includes cephalic amplexus. The female will produce around 15 eggs which are left on the ground or under leaves. The female will then leave, and the male will protect the development of the embryos and carry the larvae. When the tadpoles hatch (around 20 days after fertilization occurs), the male will take the tadpoles to riverbanks or pools of water so metamorphosis and growth can take place.[3]

Epipedobates machalilla displays a cryptic phenotype despite being in the aposematic genus Epipedobates and likely lost an aposematic trait that evolved when Epipedobates first diverged. However, it is believed that with the high intra-specific phenotypic diversity observed within poison frogs and the role of diet in toxicity that there could be chemically defended E. machalilla populations.[4][5]

Distribution

Epipedobates machalilla is endemic to West Ecuador, where it lives in dry and low forests.[1][3] It mainly occurs in Azogues, Bolívar, El Oro, Guayas, Los Rios and Manabí and has been seen in the Choco rainforest. The species occurs at altitudes between 10 and 515 metres (33 and 1,690 ft).[3] Recently, the population has been declining due to agriculture and logging.[1]

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References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2019). "Epipedobates machalilla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T55107A98645641.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2020). "Epipedobates machalilla (Coloma, 1995)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  3. "Epipedobates machalilla". AmphibiaWeb. 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  4. Tarvin, Rebecca D.; Powell, Emily A.; Santos, Juan C.; Ron, Santiago R. & Cannatella, David C. (April 2017). "The birth of aposematism: High phenotypic divergence and low genetic diversity in a young clade of poison frogs". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 109: 283–295. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2016.12.035. PMID 28089841.
  5. Darst, Catherine R.; Menéndez-Guerrero, Pablo A.; Coloma, Luis A. & Cannatella, David C. (January 2005). "Evolution of dietary specialization and chemical defense in poison frogs (Dendrobatidae): a comparative analysis". American Naturalist. 165 (1): 56–69. doi:10.1086/426599. PMID 15729640.
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