''Brachycephalus pernix'' is a small and brightly coloured species of
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...
in the family
Brachycephalidae
The Brachycephalidae () are a family of frogs confined to eastern and southern Brazil and northern Argentina. The family is composed of two externally quite different genera: the tiny, often (but not always) colourful and plump saddleback toads ( ...
. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Paraná in southeastern Brazil and only known from a single location at an altitude of on Serra da Baitaca in
Serra da Baitaca State Park
The Serra da Baitaca State Park ( pt, Parque Estadual Serra da Baitaca) is a State park (Brazil), state park in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná, Brazil.
Location
The Serra da Baitaca State Park is divided between the municipalities of Piraq ...
.
This
diurnal species lives among
leaf litter
Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that have fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituent ...
on the floor of
Atlantic rainforest
The Atlantic Forest ( pt, Mata Atlântica) is a South American forest that extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte state in the northeast to Rio Grande do Sul state in the south and inland as far as Paraguay and the ...
.
Its conservation status was last reviewed by the
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
in 2004 where regarded as
data deficient
A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessaril ...
(insufficient information for rating it),
but an independent review in 2019 that used IUCN's criteria recommended that ''B. pernix'' should be recognised as
vulnerable.
[
]
Appearance and toxicity
Although very small with a snout–to–vent
Vent or vents may refer to:
Science and technology Biology
*Vent, the cloaca region of an animal
*Vent DNA polymerase, a thermostable DNA polymerase
Geology
*Hydrothermal vent, a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water ...
length of in adult males and in adult females, ''B. pernix'' is a medium-large species of '' Brachycephalus''. It is overall bright orange with a variable amount of black mottling or spotting above, ranging from little in some individuals (largely orange above) to much in others (extensively black above with pure orange essentially restricted to top of head and mid-back).[ The bright pattern is considered ]aposematic
Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste or ...
(warning colours) since its skin and organs contain tetrodotoxin
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin. Its name derives from Tetraodontiformes, an order that includes pufferfish, porcupinefish, ocean sunfish, and triggerfish; several of these species carry the toxin. Although tetrodotoxin was discovered ...
and similar toxins.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2707401
Amphibians of Brazil
Brachycephalus
Endemic amphibians of Brazil
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Amphibians described in 1998