Atelopus glyphus
Encyclopedia
Atelopus glyphus is a species of toad
in the Bufonidae family.
It is found in Colombia
and Panama
.
Its natural habitat
s are subtropical or tropical moist montane
s and river
s. These species are terrestrial, and breeds in forest stream. Even though the reproduction biology of Atelous glyphus has not yet been explained, other species of Atelopus are known to attach their eggs to the undersides of rocks in swift-moving streams, during the dry seasons when water is moderately low. Their eggs are laid in strings, and their larvae develops as the wet season begins, and water flow increases. In addition, all Atelopus tadpoles
have large ventral suckers, and are distinct from the mouth, allowing the tadpoles to hang to stream rocks even in torrents.
The biggest threat to these species is chytridiomycosis
, which is said to arrive at their locality within five years as the chytrid fungus proceeds through Panama. Chytrid has distressed many other species of Atelopus, mainly those associated with montane streams.
It is also threatened by habitat loss. It is still not known if these species can survive in disturbed forests. Atelopus glyphus live in two protected areas, one in Panama and second one in Colombia. Even though this guarantees that some suitable habitat is present, it does not protect them from chytrid fungus. Other reasons for Amhibian glyphus to decline include urbanization, climate change, local pesticides, intensified agriculture or grazing. The genus
Atelopus happens to be the most threatened clade
of amphibians, where 60 of the 85 described Atelopus species are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. In addition, at least 30 species happen to be extinct, and have been missing from all known localities for at least 8 years. The surviving species, with enough data to evaluate population trends, 81% have population sizes that have been reduced by at least half. The higher-elevation species, those living at least 1000 m asl, have been hit the worst, with 75% having disappeared entirely.
Toad
A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...
in the Bufonidae family.
It is found in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
.
Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are subtropical or tropical moist montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
s and river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s. These species are terrestrial, and breeds in forest stream. Even though the reproduction biology of Atelous glyphus has not yet been explained, other species of Atelopus are known to attach their eggs to the undersides of rocks in swift-moving streams, during the dry seasons when water is moderately low. Their eggs are laid in strings, and their larvae develops as the wet season begins, and water flow increases. In addition, all Atelopus tadpoles
Tadpoles
Tadpoles are a psychedelic rock band formed in 1990 in New York City by Todd Parker , Michael Kite Audino and Josh Bracken In 1992, Nick Kramer , David Max and Andrew Jackson of the fledgling Manhattan group, Hit, joined the Tadpoles after putting Hit on hiatus.In 1993 Kite and Jackson left the...
have large ventral suckers, and are distinct from the mouth, allowing the tadpoles to hang to stream rocks even in torrents.
The biggest threat to these species is chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis is an infectious disease of amphibians, caused by the chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a non-hyphal zoosporic fungus. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or even extinctions of amphibian species in western North America, Central America, South...
, which is said to arrive at their locality within five years as the chytrid fungus proceeds through Panama. Chytrid has distressed many other species of Atelopus, mainly those associated with montane streams.
It is also threatened by habitat loss. It is still not known if these species can survive in disturbed forests. Atelopus glyphus live in two protected areas, one in Panama and second one in Colombia. Even though this guarantees that some suitable habitat is present, it does not protect them from chytrid fungus. Other reasons for Amhibian glyphus to decline include urbanization, climate change, local pesticides, intensified agriculture or grazing. The genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Atelopus happens to be the most threatened clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
of amphibians, where 60 of the 85 described Atelopus species are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. In addition, at least 30 species happen to be extinct, and have been missing from all known localities for at least 8 years. The surviving species, with enough data to evaluate population trends, 81% have population sizes that have been reduced by at least half. The higher-elevation species, those living at least 1000 m asl, have been hit the worst, with 75% having disappeared entirely.
Source
- Ibáñez, R., Solís, F., Jaramillo, C., Fuenmayor, Q., Lötters, S., Rueda, J.V. & Acosta-Galvis, A. 2004. Atelopus glyphus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 21 July 2007.
- "Atelopus Glyphus." AmphibiaWeb.