A new species of Psychrophrynella (Amphibia, Anura, Craugastoridae) from the humid montane forests of Cusco, eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes

PeerJ. 2016 Mar 14:4:e1807. doi: 10.7717/peerj.1807. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

We describe a new species of Psychrophrynella from the humid montane forest of the Department Cusco in Peru. Specimens were collected at 2,670-3,165 m elevation in the Área de Conservación Privada Ukumari Llakta, Japumayo valley, near Comunidad Campesina de Japu, in the province of Paucartambo. The new species is readily distinguished from all other species of Psychrophrynella but P. bagrecito and P. usurpator by possessing a tubercle on the inner edge of the tarsus, and from these two species by its yellow ventral coloration on abdomen and limbs. Furthermore, the new species is like P. bagrecito and P. usurpator in having an advertisement call composed of multiple notes, whereas other species of Psychrophrynella whose calls are known have a pulsed call (P. teqta) or a short, tonal call composed of a single note. The new species has a snout-vent length of 16.1-24.1 mm in males and 23.3-27.7 mm in females. Like other recently described species in the genus, this new Psychrophrynella inhabits high-elevation forests in the tropical Andes and likely has a restricted geographic distribution.

Keywords: Bioacoustics; Chytrid fungus; Cloud forest; Frog; Leaf litter amphibian; Paucartambo; Psychrophrynella chirihampatu.

Grants and funding

This research was supported by grants from the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, the Rufford Small Grants Foundation and Southern Illinois University startup funds to AC. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.