Atelopus planispina Jiménez de la Espada 1875

Atelopus planispinus Espada

Atelopus planispina Espada, 1875:148, pl. 2: figs. 1–2 [type locality: “San Jose de Moti, Ecuador”].

Atelopus longirrostris [SIC].—Espada, 1875: pl. 2: fig. 1 [see below, in “Remarks”].

Phryniscus cruciger.—Boulenger, 1882a: 154 [a questioned synonymy].

A.[telopus] cruciger.—Nieden, 1926:84 [a questioned synonymy].

A.[telopus] planispinus.—Rivero, 1963:107.

SYNTYPES.—Twenty-eight specimens, MM 212, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, Spain.

DESCRIPTION.—Snout from above with rounded, protrusive tip, with sharp angle at nostril; canthus rostralis from nostril to angle of eye forms straight line angling outward from anterior to posterior; no heavy fleshy margin on canthus. Dorsum of head flat, in same plane as broad, flat dorsum of body; bony ridge from corner of eye to end of skull above tympanum, ending in boss; head shagreened with tiny spines, heavier on eyelids. Snout from side overhangs lower jaw, ending in heavy point, which may be bent somewhat downward, i.e., “hooked,” nostril laterally directed, below canthus, loreal region vertical, does not form concave area. Eye slightly overhung by moderately fleshy margin of eyelid. Upper lip and head behind eye spinose and pustulose. Entire body finely speckled with tiny spinules visible under high power of microscope; on sides and in groin spines are much more prominent and pustules are also present.

Forelimb slender, elongate, shagreened with spicules and spines. When forelimb is pulled back along body, palm reaches vent. Hand fleshy; first digit enclosed in fleshiness except for its tip; other digits free or with slightly fleshy border, not webbed. Second digit shorter than fourth. Subarticular tubercles absent or very ill defined, larger palmar tubercle, no tubercle at all at base of first digit.

Hind limb slender, covered with spicules and scattered spines, not pustulate. Tibiotarsal articulation reaches to points between nostril and posterior margin of eye when carried forward along body. Heels overlap when tibiofibulae are parallel to femora at right angles to body. Entire foot fleshy, webbing almost entirely encloses first and second toes; webbing extends to tip of other toes as fringe, but is deeply incised between them. Subarticular tubercles weakly defined, outer metatarsal tubercle forms rounded hump, inner metatarsal tubercle obscured by fleshiness of first toe.

COLOR IN ALCOHOL.—Dorsal ground color light tan, with highly vermiculated markings of light to dark brown. Dorsolateral region usually solid ground color with scattered small dark spots, rest of dorsum very irregular and sometimes so heavily marked with dark brown that ground color forms isolated spots. Lower sides, chin, chest, and venter usually without spots, yellowish white (one juvenile has brown markings on chin and throat). Ground color of limbs tan, with dark brown bars or vermiculations which do not extend onto yellowish white lower surfaces of limb. Outer margins of soles of feet dark brown, inner parts yellowish white.

SYNTYPES.—The 28 syntypes in the Madrid Musum are badly faded, and a few appear to have been dried. Most of them have lost all signs of pattern, but one small male still retains most of its color, and it is possible to see enough parts of the pattern on other individuals to be sure that the more recent specimens identified here as planispinus belong to the same species. Insofar as they can be determined on the type series, the characters given above for the species as a whole are accurate for the types. Characters such as spicules and spines, or degree of fleshiness, could not be determined on the syntype.

Atelopus planispina is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the eastern slopes of the Andes of Ecuador. According to the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, it is restricted to the Napo Province, although other sources suggest somewhat wider range. It has not been seen since 1985 and might already be extinct. Common names Planispina's harlequin frog, Napo stubfoot toad, and flat-spined atelopus have been coined for it.