Herpetology Notes, volume 8: 27-30 (2015) (published online on 10 March 2015)

First records of the two poorly known Terrarana Pristimantis esmeraldas (Guayasamin, 2004) and Strabomantis necerus (Lynch, 1975) (Amphibia: Anura: ) for Colombia

Jhon Jairo Ospina-Sarria1,*, David Andrés Velásquez-Trujillo2 and Wilmar Bolívar-G2

The Chocoan region comprises the rainforests of the of craugastorid frogs for the Pacific lowlands of Pacific lowlands from northern Ecuador and eastern Colombia (department of Valle del Cauca) previously Colombia to eastern Panamá (Morrone, 2001). This known only from Ecuador. region is characterized by having one of the highest Collections were made in the Hydroelectric levels of rainfall in the world, ranging between 730- Central Alto Anchicayá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia 13.670 mm/year (Poveda et al., 2004). This high ( 3.577852 N, -76.880651 W, 600-670 m), March rainfall has been related with a high productivity (rate of 19-21, 2014. Specimens were euthanized with 20% conversion of resources to biomass per unit area per unit time), which in turn is considered one of the possible causes of the high biodiversity found in this region (Waide et al., 1999). Chocoan region is considered to be one of the most diverse in the world; however, it is poorly explored in Colombia. The current knowledge of the diversity of the Chocoan region in Colombia is based on a limited number of sample localities given the vastness of this area (Lynch, 1999; Lynch and Suárez-Mayorga, 2004). This region is facing environmental degradation caused largely by deforestation and the emergence of activities related to illegal mining (Rangel-Ch, 2004). Considering the lack of studies in Chocoan region in Colombia and its problematic environmental condition, it becomes necessary to increase the sampling effort in this area, to expand the current knowledge of its species diversity. In this context, we present two new records of rare

1 Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências; Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, trav. 14, 321, Cidade Universitária, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil. 2 Universidad del Valle, Departamento de Biología, Grupo de investigación en Ecología . A. A. 25360, Cali, Figura 3. Records known of Pristimantis esmeraldas (white Colombia. circles) and Strabomantis necerus (black circles) in Colombia * Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] and Ecuador. 28 Jhon Jairo Ospina-Sarria et al.

Figure 1. (A-C) Pristimantis esmeraldas (CD-4003), and (D) Strabomantis necerus.

Xylocaine solution, fixed in 10% formalin and stored and toes III–V (Fig. 1B-C). Previous to this report, this in 70% ethanol. Muscle or liver samples were removed species is distributed along northeastern of Provincia immediately after euthanization and preserved in 95% of Esmeraldas and Manabí, Ecuador (Guayasamin, ethanol. Coordinates were acquired using a GPS (Garmin 2004; Ron et al., 2014). Thus, the Colombian record eTrex 10) and referenced to map datum WGS84. The extends the distributional range of P. esmeraldas 330 specimens were compared to the original descriptions, km N from previously known localities in Ecuador. holotypes images and museum material. The revised Pristimantis esmeraldas is catalogued in the IUCN Red material is housed in the collection of the List as Data Deficient (Coloma, 2004) by the very little Museo de Historia Natural of the Instituto de Ciencias information existent on its extent of occurrence, status, Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia (ICN) threats and ecological requirements. In Anchicayá and the Zoological collection of the Universidad del (Colombia) this species could be classified as rare since Valle, Cali, Colombia (UV-CD). only two specimens were recorded during a period Two females of Pristimantis esmeraldas (Fig. 1A- of three nights. These specimens were found in the C, CD-4003-04) were found in the woods around forest, one on a leaf and the other on a stem, both at the Hydroelectric Central of Anchicayá (Dagua a height of approximately of 1.7 m. We observed that Municipality, 3.577852 N, -76.880651 W, 600-670 m). this species has a characteristic yellow striking spot on These specimens are characterized by a yellow striking the groin (turned cream in preservative). Other species spot on the groin (turning cream in preservative), of Pristimantis found in sympatry were P. labiosus, P. expanded and lanceloate discs cover fingers III and IV achatinus and P. latidiscus. First records of Pristimantis esmeraldas and Strabomantis necerus for Colombia 29

Figure 2. (A) Dorsal view and ventral view of left foot of Strabomantis necerus (ICN 13228), and (B) Strabomantis bufoniformis (ICN 17050).

In addition, we revised a series of specimens of the distributional range of S. necerus 365 km N from Strabomantis from Campamento Chancos, Vereda previous known localities in Ecuador (Fig. 3). Campo Alegre, Calima Municipality, Department of Strabomantis necerus is currently catalogued as a Valle del Cauca, Colombia (3.966667 N, -76.733333 Vulnerable species because its distribution is severely W, 350 m) previously identified as S. bufoniformis. fragmented, and there is continuing decline in the extent We found that five of these specimens correspond and quality of its forest habitat on the Pacific slopes at Strabomantis necerus (ICN13226–30; Fig. 1D, of the Ecuadorian Andes (Coloma et al., 2004). In 2A). S. necerus can be easily differentiated from S. Ecuador this species has not been recorded since 1995, bufoniformis by having a wider head, and reduced or suggesting that may be extinct (Arteaga et al., 2013). absence webbing between toes (not encloses all basal The Colombian new records coming from an area subarticular tubercles) (Fig. 2). This record extends inaccessible due to problems of public order, therefore 30 Jhon Jairo Ospina-Sarria et al. the status of this population is uncertain. Finally, these Rangel-Ch, O. (2004): Amenazas a la biota y a los ecosistemas new records make evident the potential of the western del Chocó biogeográfico. In: Diversidad Biótica IV. El chocó flank of the Colombian Cordillera Occidental to find Biogeográfico/Costa Pacífica, p. 841-866. Rangel, O., Ed., Bogotá, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. new species, and reinforces the need to explore more Ron, S.R., Guayasamin, J.M., Yanez-Muñoz, M.H., Merino-Viteri, areas in the Chocoan region. A., Ortiz, D.A., Nicolalde, D.A. (2014): AmphibiaWebEcuador. Available at: http://zoologia.puce.edu.ec/Vertebrados/anfibios. Acknowledgments. Raul Ríos generously allowed work space in Last accessed on 11 December 2014. the Museo Departamental de Ciencias Naturales Federico Carlos Waide, R.B., Willig, M.R., Steiner, C.F., Mittelbach, G., Gough, Lehmann Valencia, Cali, Colombia (IMCN), John D. Lynch L., Dodson, S.I., Juday, G.P., Parmenter, R. (1999): The granted the access to the collection of amphibians at the ICN and relationship between productivity and species richness. Annual provided the photo in life of Strabomantis necerus. Ronald Heyer Review of Ecology and Systematics, 30: 257-300. generously provided photos of the holotype of Strabomantis necerus, Juan Manuel Guayasamin and Luis Coloma shared their knowledge about these species in Ecuador. We are grateful with Denis Jacob Machado for editing the English version. Thanks to Mauricio Rivera and anonymous reviewer for comments that improved this manuscript. Jhon Jairo Ospina-Sarria was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo Proc. 2012/10000-5 and Proc. 2014/03585-2. These results are part of the program “Amphibians Monitoring of Parque Nacional Natural los Farallones de Cali” Pacific Division of National Parks Administrative Unit; special thanks also to Adriana Sarria, Roger Franco and Luis Carlos Damian for their administrative and field support. Finally thanks to the department of Biology of the Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.

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