Aromobates
{{Short description|Genus of amphibians}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Aromobates ornatissimus.png
| image_caption = Aromobates ornatissimus
| taxon = Aromobates
| authority = Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991
| type_species = Aromobates nocturnus
| type_species_authority = Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991
| synonyms = Nephelobates La Marca, 1994
| diversity = 18 species (see text)
}}
Aromobates, sometimes known as the skunk frogs, is a genus of frogs from the Andes of Venezuela and Colombia. Originally a monotypic genus consisting of the skunk frog, Aromobates nocturnus alone, it was later{{cite journal|author1=Grant, T. |author2=Frost, D. R. |author3=Caldwell, J. P. |author4=Gagliardo, R. |author5=Haddad, C. F. B. |author6=Kok, P. J. R. |author7=Means, D. B. |author8=Noonan, B. P. |author9=Schargel, W. E. |author10=Wheeler, W. |name-list-style=amp | year=2006| title=Phylogenetic systematics of dart-poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia, Athesphatanura, Dendrobatidae)| journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History| volume=299| pages=1–262 | url=http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/5803/1/B299.pdf| doi=10.1206/0003-0090(2006)299[1:psodfa]2.0.co;2|hdl=2246/5803 |s2cid=82263880 }} expanded to include Nephelobates. These frogs are difficult to differentiate from Allobates without using molecular markers.{{cite web |url=http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Anura/Aromobatidae/Aromobatinae/Aromobates |title=Aromobates Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991 |author=Frost, Darrel R. |year=2014 |work=Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |accessdate=15 August 2014}}
Etymology
The generic name derives from the Latin aroma, meaning "sweet odor".{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=aroma| title=aroma| work=Online Etymology Dictionary| publisher=Douglas Harper}} The odor of the type species, Aromobates nocturnus, is reminiscent of a skunk.{{cite book|isbn=0-13-100849-8|page=92|author=F. Harvey Pough|year=2004|publisher=Pearson/Prentice Hall|location=Upper Saddle River, NJ|title=Herpetology|display-authors=etal}}
Description
Aromobates are small to medium-sized frogs that have cryptic colouration. They have robust body form and basal to extensive toe webbing. For example, the relatively small Aromobates meridensis and Aromobates walterarpi are around {{convert|3|cm|abbr=on}} in snout–vent length and have basal webbing only, whereas the relatively large Aromobates nocturnus (up to {{convert|62|mm|abbr=on}} SVL in females) have webbed feet.{{cite book|title=Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles |edition=4th |first1=Laurie J.|last1= Vitt|first2=Janalee P. |last2=Caldwell|publisher=Academic Press|year=2014|page=487}}
Species
There are 18 species, many of them endangered:{{cite web |url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/ |title=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2.
- Aromobates alboguttatus (Boulenger, 1903) (Possibly Extinct)
- Aromobates cannatellai Barrio-Amorós and Santos, 2012
- Aromobates capurinensis (Péfaur, 1993)
- Aromobates duranti (Péfaur, 1985) (Critically Endangered)
- Aromobates ericksonae Barrio-Amorós and Santos, 2012
- Aromobates haydeeae (Rivero, 1978) (Possibly Extinct)
- Aromobates leopardalis (Rivero, 1978) (Possibly Extinct)
- Aromobates mayorgai (Rivero, 1980) (Endangered)
- Aromobates meridensis (Dole and Durant, 1972) (Critically Endangered)
- Aromobates molinarii (La Marca, 1985) (Critically Endangered)
- Aromobates nocturnus Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991 (Critically Endangered)
- Aromobates ornatissimus Barrio-Amorós, Rivero, and Santos, 2011
- Aromobates orostoma (Rivero, 1978) (Critically Endangered)
- Aromobates saltuensis (Rivero, 1980) (Endangered)
- Aromobates serranus (Péfaur, 1985) (Possibly Extinct)
- Aromobates tokuko Rojas-Runjaic, Infante-Rivero, and Barrio-Amorós, 2011
- Aromobates walterarpi La Marca and Otero-López, 2012
- Aromobates zippeli Barrio-Amorós and Santos, 2012