''Pristimantis orcesi'' 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
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 ...
of central and northern Ecuador.
[ The specific name ''orcesi'' honors , an Ecuadorian naturalist.] Common names Orces robber frog[ and Bolivar robber frog have been proposed for this species.][
]
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 short and rounded. The tympanum is visible. The fingers and toes bear lateral fringes as well as discs at their tips. The dorsum is dark chocolate-brown or black with white warts. The venter is paler than the dorsum. 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 ent ...
is deep chocolate-brown. Males have a vocal sac
The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs and toads. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call. The presence or development of the vocal sac is one way o ...
.
Habitat and conservation
''Pristimantis orcesi'' is associated with terrestrial bromeliad
The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, ...
s and rocks in dry 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 ...
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
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 ...
near small steams that retain some moisture.[ Development is direct] (i.e., there is no free-living larval stage). It is potentially threatened by feral cows and fire. It is known from the Llanganates and 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 ...
s and its range overlaps with some other protected areas.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pristimantis Orcesi
orcesi
Endemic fauna of Ecuador
Amphibians of Ecuador
Amphibians of the Andes
Amphibians described in 1972
Taxa named by John Douglas Lynch
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot