Atelopus balios
{{Short description|Species of amphibian}}
{{speciesbox
| image = Atelopus balios.jpg
| image_caption = Atelopus balios in Awashima MARINE PARK
| status = CR
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Atelopus
| species = balios
| authority = Peters, 1973
| synonyms =
| range_map = Atelopus balios distribution map.svg
}}
Atelopus balios, the Rio Pescado stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to southwestern Ecuador, with records from Pacific lowlands in Azuay, Cañar, and Guayas Provinces. It is a rare species that was already suspected to be extinct, but a single specimen was discovered in 2011 by a team from Conservation International during a hunt for missing amphibians.{{cite web|url=http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/18012313_qDpzzW#1383534061_P65mxL5 |title=Ansonia latidisca |publisher=Smugmug.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-14}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.conservation.org/NewsRoom/pressreleases/Pages/Global-Search-Lost-Frogs-Findings.aspx|title=Global Search for 'lost' frogs yields few findings, important warnings - Conservation International|website=Conservation International|access-date=2016-04-09}} The decline in amphibian populations is well documented. The Atelopus balios is Critically Endangered as a result of the widespread amphibian Chytridiomycosis fungus that has decimated other amphibian populations.{{Cite web|url=http://eol.org/pages/1023450/details|title=Rio Pascado Stubfoot Toad - Atelopus balios - Details - Encyclopedia of Life|website=Encyclopedia of Life|language=en|access-date=2017-10-09}} There are only 10 known findings of the tadpole, Atelopus balios.“The Tadpole of Atelopus Balios (Anura: Bufonidae) from the Pacific Lowlands of Ecuador.” Herpetologica, vol. 52, no. 1, 1996, pp. 66–70. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3892957
Description
Adult males measure {{convert|27|-|29|mm|abbr=on}} and females {{convert|35|-|37|mm|abbr=on}} in snout–vent length. The snout is pointed. The limbs are long and slender. The fingers and toes are partially webbed. The dorsum is olive green and is covered with rounded black spots that also extend to the limbs. The palms, soles, webbing, and perianal region are orange. The belly is almost totally cream yellow, except for the margins to which the black spots extend. The tail makes up 52% of the total body length. “The Tadpole of Atelopus Balios (Anura: Bufonidae) from the Pacific Lowlands of Ecuador.” Herpetologica, vol. 52, no. 1, 1996, pp. 66–70. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3892957
Habitat and conservation
Its natural habitats are tropical lowland rainforests at elevations of {{convert|200|–|460|m|abbr=on}} or {{convert|0|–|900|m|abbr=on}} above sea level, depending on the source. It is nocturnal and associated with streams. It is threatened by chytridiomycosis and habitat loss caused by agriculture, logging, and pollution. Its range does not include any protected areas.
References
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
{{cite web |url=http://zoologia.puce.edu.ec/Vertebrados/anfibios/FichaEspecie.aspx?Id=1142 |title=Atelopus balios |author=Coloma, L. A. |display-authors=etal |year=2010–2015 |work=Ron, S. R., Guayasamin, J. M., Yanez-Muñoz, M. H., Merino-Viteri, A., Ortiz, D. A. and Nicolalde, D. A. 2016. AmphibiaWebEcuador. Version 2016.0 |publisher=Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (QCAZ) |accessdate=30 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321155007/http://zoologia.puce.edu.ec/Vertebrados/Anfibios/FichaEspecie.aspx?Id=1142 |archive-date=2015-03-21 |url-status=dead }}
}}
{{Commons category|Atelopus balios}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2236252}}
Category:Amphibians of Ecuador
Category:Amphibians described in 1973