Atelopus Pulcher Hoogmoedi Lescure, 1974, Bull. Mus. Natl

42 family aromobatidae

FAMILY BUFONIDAE

Atelopus hoogmoedi (Lescure, 1974) Common name(s): Hoogmoed Harlequin Toad (Eng.), zwartgele klompvoetkik- ker (Dutch) Atelopus pulcher hoogmoedi Lescure, 1974, Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Paris, Ser. 3, Zool. 144: 998. Type locality: “monts Atachi-Bacca (Guyane française)”.

Short description

Max size for females is 38mm, males 26mm. The head is narrow, the snout is prominent with an angular tip. The tympanum is not visible. Small paratoid gland. A groove separates the head from the rest of the body. Dorsal part is smooth, the belly is granulous. The legs are long and slender. The first finger is short, totally webbed, the other fingers are free. The tibia is somewhat longer than the femur. The first toe is entirely fused with the skin, the second short and webbed, the rest has webbing at their base. Lescure & Marty (2000) distinguish three morphs based on pattern and colour. In Suriname morph B has the widest distribution. It has a dark brown to black base colour on the dorsal and lateral sites with oval to longitudinal shaped yellow rings that may be connected or isolated. Usually the yellow pattern is more connected dorsolaterally and on the legs. The number of yellow rings differs widely from a few on an animal that is mostly black to about half of the dorsal and lateral sides covered by yellow. In some areas the yellow may be almost orange. The ven- tral side is almost immaculate yellow. In morph C, that also occurs in the south of Suriname the yellow covers a larger surface than the black. Also in this morph the venter is yellow and almost without spots.

Distribution

Guianas and adjacent northern Brazil. Distribution in Suriname: disjunct distribution in hilly and mountainous areas of the interior. Known from one locality in the savanna belt. Seems to be absent from southwestern Suriname

Habitat

Most common near small streams in primary forest in hilly and mountainous areas. Some specimens may wander quite far from streams. Active during the day- time. At night sleeping above ground on top of small seedlings or bushes. atelopus hoogmoedi 43

Fig. 36 Atelopus hoogmoedi, Brownsberg Mt.

Fig. 37 Distribution of Atelopus hoogmoedi in Suriname.