''Eleutherodactylus orientalis'', the Oriental robber frog or Baracoa dwarf frog, is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...

in the family

Eleutherodactylidae The Eleutherodactylidae are a family of direct-developing frogs native to northern South America, the Caribbean, and southernmost North America. They are sometimes known under the common name rain frogs. Formerly the subfamily Eleutherodactylina ...

. 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 else ...

to the vicinity of El Yunque,

Baracoa Baracoa, whose full original name is: ''Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa'' (“Our Lady of the Assumption of Baracoa”), is a municipality and city in Guantánamo Province near the eastern tip of Cuba. It was visited by Admiral Christop ...

, in easternmost

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. Although locally common, it requires undisturbed moist forest and has a tiny range, making it critically endangered from habitat loss and degradation. ''E. orientalis'' is relatively brightly marked in yellow and very small, females averaging in 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 wate ...

length and males . It is part of a closely related Cuban group that contains five additional described species ('' E. cubanus'', '' E. etheridgei'', '' E. iberia'', '' E. jaumei'' and '' E. limbatus'') and at least one undescribed species; most of which are of tiny size, relatively brightly colored and possibly

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 o ...

(at least ''E. iberia'' and ''E. orientalis'' have

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

toxins in their skin).

References

orientalis Amphibians described in 1937 Endemic fauna of Cuba Amphibians of Cuba Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Thomas Barbour Taxa named by Benjamin Shreve {{Eleutherodactylus-stub