''Pristimantis cryophilius'' 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

Strabomantidae The Strabomantidae are a family of frogs native to South America. These frogs lack a free-living larval stage and hatch directly into miniature "froglets". This family includes ''Pristimantis'', the most speciose genus of any vertebrate. System ...

. 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 the Ecuadorian

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

in the

Azuay Azuay (), Province of Azuay is a province of Ecuador, created on 25 June 1824. It encompasses an area of . Its capital is Cuenca. It is located in the south center of Ecuador in the highlands. Its mountains reach above sea level in the nationa ...

, Cañar, and

Morona-Santiago Province Morona Santiago () is a province in Ecuador. The province was established on February 24, 1954. The capital is Macas. Economy The provincial economy is industrially unexploited to its potential due to poor means of transportation. Its economy ...

s. The specific name ''cryophilius'' is derived from Greek ''kryos'' for cold and ''philois'' for loving and refers to the affinity of this species for cold climate. Common name San Vicente robber frog has been coined for it.

Description

Adult males measure and adult females 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 snout is subacuminate in dorsal view and pointed when viewed laterally. The tympanum is hidden. All digits bear discs; the fingers have lateral fringes and the toes have lateral keels. Dorsal skin has flattened warts. The dorsolateral folds are present but indistinct. Coloration is medium brown with a network of darker brown on the body and limbs. There is some yellow flecking on flanks. The venter as well as the posterior surfaces of the thighs are rose-brown. The venter is flecked with cream. The

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants *Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional enti ...

is golden yellow with brown flecks.

Habitat and conservation

''Pristimantis cryophilius'' occurs in sub-

páramo Páramo () can refer to a variety of alpine tundra ecosystems located in the Andes Mountain Range, South America. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as "all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline". A narrower ...

shrubland and páramo grassland habitats at elevations of

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 ...

. Individuals have been found under rocks and logs. This species is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and degradation caused primarily by agriculture. It is found in the

El Cajas National Park El Cajas National Park or Cajas National Park ( es, Parque Nacional El Cajas) is a national park in the highlands of Ecuador. It is located about 30 km west from Cuenca, the capital of the province of Azuay. The area of 285.44 km2 ( ...

and its range overlaps with the

Sangay National Park Sangay National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Sangay) is a national park located in the Morona Santiago, Chimborazo, Tungurahua, Cañar and Azuay provinces of Ecuador. The park contains two active volcanoes (Tungurahua and Sangay), one extinct vol ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4457991 cryophilius Amphibians of the Andes Amphibians of Ecuador Endemic fauna of Ecuador Taxa named by John Douglas Lynch Amphibians described in 1979 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot