The Carchi Andes toad (''Rhaebo colomai'') is a species of toad endemic to the western slopes of the Andes in northern Ecuador and southern

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

. It is listed as an endangered species due to a restricted range and habitat loss.

Description

''Rhaebo colomai'' are medium-sized toads: males measure and females in snout–vent length.

Habitat and conservation

This species is known only from three locations: the type locality ("Cabacera del Rio Baboso, cerca a Lita', Carchi Province, Ecuador"), one other locality close by in the province of Carchi, in the northwestern Andes of Ecuador, and one locality on the

Colombian Massif The Colombian Massif (from the Spanish Macizo Colombiano), also known colloquially as ''Nudo de Almaguer'', refers to a group of mountains within the Andes of south central Colombia. The massif is mainly within the area of the Cauca, Huila, and ...

in the Nariño Department. It has been recorded from 1,180 to 1,500 m asl. The holotype was collected on a branch some 50 cm above the ground in the forest of a small creek at night. A male was collected at night sitting on a tree trunk in a creek, while a female was collected in the afternoon on the forest floor near a creek. The stomach of a female was crammed with ants. The type locality has been severely impacted by habitat destruction as a result of agriculture and logging. In addition, spraying of herbicides in Colombia to control crops is polluting the species' habitat. An unknown intrinsic factor may also be responsible for the species' scarcity.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28004877 colomai Amphibians of the Andes Amphibians of Colombia Amphibians of Ecuador