A new species of the genus Pristimantis (rain frogs) has been discovered in southeastern Peru by an international team of scientists.
Pristimantis pluvialis, male. Image credit: Alessandro Catenazzi.
The newfound frog, named Pristimantis pluvialis, lives in the humid sub-montane forest of the Peruvian region Cusco.
Similarly to other species within its genus, which is the most species-rich genus of frogs and among the largest vertebrate genera, Pristimantis pluvialis exhibits direct development.
This means that it is capable of undergoing its entire life cycle without a free-living tadpole stage.
According to the team, led by Alex Shepack of Southern Illinois University, Pristimantis pluvialis can be distinguished from other Pristimantis frogs by call, skin texture, and the presence of a rostral papilla.
This frog is typically orange-brown in color with faint brown markings. Adults can measure between 21-29 mm and females are larger than males.
The call of Pristimantis pluvialis can be described as a single ‘tock’ note, 23–58 ms in duration.
“Males call from grasses, shrubs, and trees in the understory of the submontane forest, during crepuscular hours and at night, conspicuously after heavy rains,” Shepack and his colleagues said.
With the addition of P. pluvialis the genus Pristimantis now contains 474 known species.
“This cryptically diverse group surely contains even more undescribed species,” the scientists said.
“We discovered Pristimantis pluvialis in a region where multiple researchers, including the authors, have worked previously.”
“This suggests that continued surveying efforts are necessary to achieve a full understanding of herpetological diversity in this area.”
Pristimantis pluvialis is described in a paper published in the journal Zoo Keys.
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Shepack A. et al. 2016. A new species of Pristimantis (Amphibia, Anura, Craugastoridae) from the foothills of the Andes in Manu National Park, southeastern Peru. ZooKeys 594: 143-164; doi: 10.3897/zookeys.594.8295
