Eleutherodactylus colonensis Mueses-Cisneros, 2007, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Mueses-Cisneros, Jonh Jairo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Anura
Eleutherodactylidae
Eleutherodactylus
Eleutherodactylus colonensis

description: Eleutherodactylus colonensis sp. nov.
(Fig. 1 A, 2A–D)
Eleutherodactylus eriphus— Mueses-Cisneros 2005: 235. (In part).
Holotype. ICN 49805, an adult female collected by J. J. Mueses on 30 January 2004. Type locality. COLOMBIA, Putumayo, Valle de Sibundoy, Municipio de Sibundoy, Vereda Fátima, property of Emilia Campaña (ca. 01º 11’N, 76º 52’W), 2400 m.
Paratypes. COLOMBIA, Putumayo, Valle de Sibundoy, Municipio de Colón: property of Francisco Rivera, above Quebrada Afilangayaco and surroundings (01° 11' N, 76° 58' W), 2450 m. (ICN 49792, 49794), collected by J. J. Mueses and Jesús Benítez on 23 December 2003; path from San Sebastián to “La Cuchilla”, toward “La Rejoya” (01° 11' N, 76° 58' W – 01º 10’N, 76º 59’W), 2200–2500m. (ICN 49795-7), collected by J. J. Mueses and Hernán Masmuta on 29 December 2003; Municipio de San Francisco, forest behind municipal stadium (01° 10' N, 76° 51' W), 2550 m. (ICN 49798–9, 49803–4), collected by J. J. Mueses and Camilo Barrera on 19 January 2004; Putumayo, km 80 on the road Pasto–Mocoa, (ca. 01° 07' N, 76° 50' W) 2750 m (ICN 26112), collected by Pedro M. Ruiz et al. on November 1982.
Referred specimens. (Juveniles). Putumayo, Valle de Sibundoy, Municipio de Colón, property of Francisco Rivera, above Quebrada Afilangayaco and surroundings (01° 11' N, 76° 58' W), 2450 m. (ICN 49793), collected by J. J. Mueses and Jesús Benítez on 23 December 2003; Municipio de San Francisco, Vereda San Pablo, Reserva Natural Privada La Palma, property of Familia Pineda (01° 11' N, 76° 51' W), 2400–2550 m. (ICN 49800-2), collected by J. J. Mueses on 24 January 2004.
Diagnosis. 1) Skin of dorsum granular, with two)(shaped prominent paravertebral folds, skin of venter slightly granulated; dorsolateral folds absent; 2) tympanum distinct, 1/3–2/5 eye length; 3) snout semirounded in dorsal view, rounded in lateral profile; 4) IOD as wide as upper eyelid, cranial crests present, prominent only on the posterior part of the frontoparietals; upper eyelid bearing one conical tubercle; canthus rostralis concave; 5) dentigerous processes of vomers prominent, triangular and moderately separated from each other; 6) males with vocal slits and subgular vocal sac, nuptial pads absent; 7) first finger shorter than second; fingers II–IV bearing large pads, disks broader than long; 8) fingers bearing narrow lateral fringes; 9) ulnar tubercles subconical, much more evident in males; 10) knee, heel and outer edge of tarsus bearing conical tubercles; 11) elongated inner metatarsal tubercle, 3 times size of rounded outer; numerous supernumerary tubercles; 12) toes bearing lateral fringes, not webbed; toe pads smaller than those of fingers; 13) dorsum dark brown, with narrow light brown irregular lines that extend toward the flanks, paravertebral folds light brown; ventrally, dark brown with light brown stains; flanks, shanks and thighs brown-cinnamon with narrow cream irregular lines; labial bars and canthal stripe brown-cinnamon delineated with cream; broad brown-cinnamon bars on throat; 14) adults small, SVL 15.1–19.5 mm (x = 17.4 ± 1.6, n = 8) in males, 25.6–30.1 mm (x = 27.6 ± 1.9, n =4) in females.
Eleutherodactylus colonensis is very similar to E. eriphus Lynch and Duellman, with which it is sympatric, but E. colonensis can be differentiated by the presence of prominent paravertebral folds (Fig. 2 A), smaller body size; in E. eriphus, SVL = 19.0– 25.8 mm in males, 30.4–35.1 mm in females), and color pattern (with narrow irregular bands on flanks, groin, thighs and shanks (Fig. 2 B); bands absent in E. eriphus). Additionally, in E. colonensis, the tip of Toe V does not reach the distal subarticular tubercle of Toe IV (condition B; Lynch and Duellman 1997), whereas the tip of the toe V reaches beyond the distal border of the distal subarticular tubercle (Condition C) in E. eriphus.
E. colonensis is also similar to E. taciturnus Lynch and Suárez-Mayorga, but the former differs from the latter by the presence of tympanum (Fig. 2 D) and of paravertebral folds; absence of postorbital folds, absence of small round tubercles over the skin of the dorsum (present in E. taciturnus) and the coloration pattern (narrow irregular cream lines on the flanks, thighs and shanks; pattern absent in E. taciturnus). The two chevrons on the chin in E. taciturnus form a “U” (Lynch and Suárez-Mayorga 2003), whereas the chin is without pattern in E. colonensis (Fig. 2 C).
Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective and refers to the Municipality of Colón, Putumayo Department, as homage for my native town and where the species was found for the first time.
Description. The proportions are based on seven adult males and three adult females. Head width approximately equal to width of the body; slightly wider than long in females, about equal in males; HW in males 40.1–43.4% (x = 41.7 ± 1.2) of the SVL, 42.2–44.6% (x = 43.1 ± 1.3) in females; snout semi-rounded in dorsal view, rounded in lateral profile; nostril protuberant; EN 81.8–100.0% (x = 94.4 ± 7.7) of the Eye diameter in males, 87.7–100.0% (x = 93.8 ± 6.2) in females; canthus rostralis evident and concave; loreal region concave; lips not flared; interorbital region slightly wider than upper eyelid in females, approximately equal in males; upper eyelid width 90.7–122.0% (x = 102.5 ± 13.4) IOD in males and 73.0–96.7% (x = 84.7 ± 11.8) in females; upper eyelid bearing one conical tubercle (Figure 2 D); cranial crests present, projected on posterior part of frontoparietals; supratympanic fold absent; tympanum small, rounded; tympanum length 34.1–40.8% (x = 37.2 ± 2.2) eye length in males and 34.4–42.3% (x = 38.8 ± 4.0) in females.
Choanae rounded to oval, not concealed by palatal shelf of maxillary arch; dentigerous processes of vomers triangular and narrowly separated, median and posterior to choanae, each bearing row of 5 or 6 teeth; tongue rounded, somewhat longer than wide, notched posteriorly; 1/2–2/3 of its extension adherent to floor of mouth; males with vocal slits and subgular vocal sac; long vocal slits, lateral to tongue.
Dorsum granular, with two prominent paravertebral folds, forming a)(shaped pattern (Fig. 2 A); skin of ventral surfaces slightly granulated; discoidal folds not evident; limbs with some granules; dorsolateral and postorbital folds absent; flanks finely granulated; subcloacal tubercles subconical; ulnar tubercles present, low in females, subconical in males.
Hands in males 34.0–39.5% (x = 36.2 ± 2.0) of SVL, 38.0–41.1% (x = 39.3 ± 1.6) in females; palmar tubercle bifid, each prolongation of this about 2/3 length of thenar tubercle; supernumerary palmar tubercles numerous, rounded to elongated and low; subarticular tubercles large, rounded and low; fleshy and narrow fringes along lateral margins of fingers; disks on all fingers, rounded on Finger I, extensively expanded on Fingers II–IV; disk of Finger III larger than tympanum (tympanum diameter 54.2% of disk of Finger III); disks bearing ventral pads, somewhat longer than wide; Finger I shorter than second finger; males without nuptial pad.
Foot in males 50.6–58.7% (x = 54.6 ± 2.6) SVL, 41.2–60.5% (x = 53.5 ± 10.7) in females; inner tarsal fold absent, series of conical tubercles along outer margin of tarsus; knee and heel bearing one conical tubercle each; tubercle on heel prominent; inner metatarsal tubercle oval, near three times length of elongated outer; supernumerary plantar tubercles numerous, rounded and low; subarticular tubercles rounded; toes bearing fleshy fringes along lateral margins; no webbing; disks on all toes, disks of toes II–V somewhat longer than wide, but smaller than those of fingers; Toe V longer that Toe III; tip of Toe V does not reach distal subarticular tubercle of toe IV (condition B; Lynch and Duellman 1997).
Color in alcohol. Dorsum dark brown, rarely light brown; paravertebral folds cream, with or without light brown coloration between the folds; ventrally dark brown with irregular cream stains; limbs with dark brown and light brown stripes; flanks, groin, thighs and shanks dark brown with narrow cream lines (Fig. 2 B); lips, canthal region and border of the throat with dark brown rounded bars (Fig. 2 C).
Color in life. Dorsum dark brown to cinnamon, rarely brown-yellow or brown-green; with brown-cinnamon bars in the canthal region; paravertebral folds light brown; flanks brown-cinnamon with white irregular narrow lines; groin, shanks and thighs brown-cinnamon with white irregular narrow lines; limbs with irregular dark brown bars; ventrally dark brown with white irregular stains; iris coppery, slightly reticulated.
Measurements of holotype (in mm). SVL 30.1; HW 12.7; head length 11.9; IOD 3.6; upper eyelid width 3.0; internarial distance 2.8; tympanum diameter 1.5; eye diameter 3.6; eye–nare distance 3.6; nare–snout distance 1.6; shank length 18.2; foot length 12.4; hand length 11.5.
Measurements of the type series. The measurements of the type series are presented in table 1.
Natural history. All specimens were captured during the night, mainly on vegetation between 1 and 2 meters above the ground along small streams inside forest, and in clearings from 0.5 to 2 meters above the ground. Calling males were not heard; however, most of the males present white,well-developed testes.
Distribution. Known from Valle de Sibundoy in Colón, San Francisco and Sibundoy municipalities at elevations of 2200–2750 m. (Fig. 3).
Remarks. Edgar Lehr (in litt. 2007) has six specimens of E. colonensis from north of Ecuador; however although I have not examined Lehr’s specimens, there is not doubt that the species described here are also present in Ecuador because the Valle de Sibundoy is located nearly 80 km from the boundary between Colombia and Ecuador.
description: Published as part of Mueses-Cisneros, Jonh Jairo, 2007, Two new species of the genus Eleutherodactylus (Anura: Brachycephalidae) from Valle de Sibundoy, Putumayo, Colombia, pp. 35-43 in Zootaxa 1498 on pages 35-39, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.177076