Holoaden bradei

Holoaden bradei, or the Itatiaia highland frog, is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is endemic to the Itatiaia Mountains of southeastern Brazil. It is restricted to an area of 10km2 at an elevation of 2,400 to 2,600, the type locality being at 22°21′S, 44°44′W at a location known as Alto Itatiaia.[1][2][3] H. bradei is found among stones, mulch, and terrestrial bromeliads, in which it breeds through direct development. H. bradei may already be extinct in the wild because it has not been recorded in the wild for several decades.[4]

Holoaden bradei

Critically endangered, possibly extinct  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Craugastoridae
Genus: Holoaden
Species:
H. bradei
Binomial name
Holoaden bradei
Lutz, 1958

Description

It is a small frog that has an olive-brown skin color with irregular dark patches around its body. The belly of the frog is a cream color, and the tips of the frog's hands are a bright yellow. It has a large, wide head with an oval body and a rounded snout. It has short limbs, and has large eyes that face forward. The Highland frog's eyes have diamond-shaped pupils. The female frogs are slightly larger than the male frogs. The length of their snouts have been recorded up to 3.7 centimeters.[4]

Distribution and habitat

Itatiaia highland frogs are a terrestrial species. They are often found under mulch, leaves, and stones in open grasslands or sparse forests. They have also been known to live in burrows and other shaded places. They are also known to live in shrublands in moist areas. As the name suggests, they are found in the highlands of the Itatiaia Mountains in Brazil. They are found at elevations of around 2,100 to 2,600 meters above sea level. They were frequently found there up until the 1970s, but have not been seen since 1976. Because of this, they are believed to most likely be extinct.[4][5]

Threats

Highland frogs are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List. The species has been impacted by multiple factors leading to their possible extinction. Highland frogs have been reported to be affected by extreme frosts. It's believed that the species has been reduced so much because of tourist activities and wildfires. More possibilities leading to their extinction include disease, pollution, and climate change. The extreme change in temperature has led to the rapidly decreasing population.[1][4]

Ecology

Although very little information about the reproduction of highland frogs is available, it is believed that they breed by direct development. They lay their eggs under mulch and leaves, and a parent will guard the eggs.[5] If threatened, the parent highland frog will raise itself on its forelimbs, and hiss at the potential predator to try to make it go away. The offspring, however, bypasses the larval stage and becomes a miniature adult when it hatches from its egg.[4]

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References
  1. Carlos Frederico da Rocha; Monique Van Sluys; Carlos Alberto Gonçalves da Cruz (2004). "Holoaden bradei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T10215A3183473. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T10215A3183473.en.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2019). "Holoaden bradei Lutz, 1958". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  3. "AmphibiaWeb - Holoaden bradei". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  4. “Itatiaia Highland Frog Photos and Facts.” Arkive.org
  5. “Itatiaia Highland Frog | Holoaden Bradei.” EDGE of Existence
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