Paratelmatobius lutzii

Paratelmatobius lutzii
Conservation status
Critically endangered, possibly extinct (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Leptodactylidae
Genus:	Paratelmatobius
Species:	P. lutzii
Binomial name
Paratelmatobius lutzii B. Lutz & A. Carvalho, 1958

Paratelmatobius lutzii is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. The species is endemic to Brazil, where it is known from the Mantiqueira Mountains in the state of Minas Gerais.

Habitat

Its natural habitats are montane forests, and it breeds in stream headwaters at altitudes of 2,000–2,200 m (6,600–7,200 ft). It is only known from its type locality where it was once abundant, but it has not been recorded since 1979. It is known in one protected park, Parque Nacional do Itatiaia.

Description

The adult frog measures 19.2-23.3 mm in snout-vent length. The dorsal skin is dark brown in color. Some frogs have light green color on their snouts. The undersides of the hind legs are gray with white places. The bottoms of the front legs are red. The belly is black with some white color. There is webbed skin on the feet.

Etymology

The specific name, lutzii, is in honor of Brazilian physician and herpetologist Adolfo Lutz, who was the father of Bertha Lutz.

Threats

Scientists are not certain of the cause of the decline in this population. They consider fires a possible cause. The dangerous fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been detected on other animals in the frog's range, so the disease chytridiomycosis might have killed many of these frogs, as it has so many other high-altitude, stream-breeding South American frogs.

Further reading

• Lutz B, Carvalho AL de (1958). "Novos Anfíbios Anuros das Serras Costeiras do Brasil ". Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 56 (1): 239–260. (Paratelmatobius lutzii, new species, pp. 241–243, 246–248). (in Portuguese and English).