''Ceuthomantis aracamuni'', also known as the Cerro Aracamuni emerald-barred frog, is a 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

Ceuthomantidae ''Ceuthomantis'' is a small genus of craugastorid frogs, also treated as comprising their own monogeneric family Ceuthomantidae. They are found in the southern and eastern parts of the Guiana Highlands in Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil. The generi ...

. 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 Cerro Aracamuni in southern

Amazonas, Venezuela ) , anthem = ''Amazonas State Anthem, Himno del Estado Amazonas'' , image_map = Amazonas in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map ...

Description

The

type series In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes the ...

consists of two individuals. The

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

is a subadult male measuring in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the most c ...

. The

paratype In zoology and botany, a paratype is a specimen of an organism that helps define what the scientific name of a species and other taxon actually represents, but it is not the holotype (and in botany is also neither an isotype nor a syntype). Of ...

is a juvenile measuring in snout–vent length. The head is wider than the body. The snout is subovoid in dorsal view and truncate in profile. The tympanum is distinct. The finger tips have broad discs. The toe discs are smaller than the finger ones. No lateral keels nor webbing are present. The dorsum is yellowish green with brown spots. The limbs are dorsally reddish brown with green. There is a brick red canthal stripe and an ochre supratympanic stripe. The belly is blackish brown with white spots.

Distribution and habitat

''Ceuthomantis aracamuni'' is only known from the type series collected from Cerro Aracamuni at

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. It is likely that this species also occurs in the adjacent

Cerro Avispa Cerro Avispa is a tepui in Amazonas state, Venezuela.Huber, O. (1995). Geographical and physical features. In: P.E. Berry, B.K. Holst & K. Yatskievych (eds.) '' Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Volume 1. Introduction.'' Missouri Botanical Garden ...

, which shares its slopes with Cerro Aracamuni. Together, these give 238 km² potential habitat area above 1,500 m, and more if the slopes are included. Cerro Aracamuni is a

granitic A granitoid is a generic term for a diverse category of coarse-grained igneous rocks that consist predominantly of quartz, plagioclase, and alkali feldspar. Granitoids range from plagioclase-rich tonalites to alkali-rich syenites and from quart ...

mountain (rather than

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

, as typical for

tepui A tepui , or tepuy (), is a table-top mountain or mesa found in South America, especially in Venezuela and western Guyana. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran S ...

s). The types were found on a moss patch on a rocky talus by a small tannic-water creek (2 m wide) with a rocky bed. The stream ran in a dwarf gallery forest (2.5 m canopy height).

Conservation

The known range of this species is within the

Serranía de la Neblina National Park The Serranía de la Neblina National Park is a national park of Venezuela. Location It is located in the State of Amazonas, southwest of the Parima Tapirapecó National Park. It covers the area of the Cerro de la Neblina, whose highest peak on t ...

. Furthermore, the summit of Cerro Aracamuni is remote and undisturbed. However, there is illegal mining activity at the base of this mountain. If this activity spreads higher up, or the range of ''Ceuthomantis aracamuni'' includes the lower slopes, then mining will be a threat to this species. Also climate change is potentially threatening this high-altitude species and its habitat. Moreover, species with restricted ranges are vulnerable to novel pathogens.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2947133 aracamuni Endemic fauna of Venezuela Amphibians of Venezuela Amphibians of the Tepuis Amphibians described in 2010 Taxa named by Cesar L. Barrio-Amoros