First record of the Amazonian tiny tree toad Amazophrynella minuta (Melin, 1941) (Anura: Bufonidae, for Venezuela

Abstract

Amazophrynella minuta is a small toad of the family Bufonidae. It was originally described as a member of the genus Atelopus but in the last decades has been relocated to different genera (see Frost 2013 for a review of its taxonomic history). This species is currently known from many localities across the lowlands and midlands of the Amazon rainforest of Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana and French Guiana (Ávila et al. 2012; Fouquet et al. 2012; Frost 2013). Fouquet et al. (2012) reported this species from Venezuela (in the Andean piedmont of the Llanos region), however, this record was based on an error of identification (A. Fouquet personal communication to SCF). Herein, we report for the first time the presence of Amazophrynella minuta from Venezuela on the basis of a single specimen (Figure 1) collected during a herpetological survey conducted by the Museo de Historia Natural La Salle (MHNLS). The specimen is housed at the Abstract: Amazophrynella minuta is a small toad widely distributed in the lowlands and midlands of the Amazon and Guiana regions. Herein we report the first record of this species from Venezuela based on a single specimen from Raudal de Danto, Río Cuao, northwestern Amazonas state. This record extends the distribution of the species more than 500 km from the closest known localities in Colombia and Brazil

Full text

1122
Journal of species lists and distribution
Chec List
No te s o N GeoGraphic DistributioN
Check List 9(5): 1122–1123, 2013
© 2013 Check List and Authors
ISSN 1809-127X (available at www.checklist.org.br)
Amazophrynella minuta is a small toad of the family
Bufonidae. It was originally described as a member of the
genus Atelopus but in the last decades has been relocated
to different genera (see Frost 2013 for a review of its
taxonomic history). This species is currently known from
many localities across the lowlands and midlands of
the Amazon rainforest of Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador,
Colombia, Guyana and French Guiana (Ávila et al. 2012;
Fouquet et al. 2012; Frost 2013). Fouquet et al. (2012)
reported this species from Venezuela (in the Andean
piedmont of the Llanos region), however, this record was
      
communication to SCF).
         
Amazophrynella minuta from Venezuela on the basis
of a single specimen (Figure 1) collected during a
herpetological survey conducted by the Museo de Historia
Natural La Salle (MHNLS). The specimen is housed at the
Abstract: Amazophrynella minuta is a small toad widely distributed in the lowlands and midlands of the Amazon and


the closest known localities in Colombia and Brazil
1 Fundación La Salle de Ciencias Naturales, Museo de Historia Natural La Salle. Apartado Postal 1930, Código Postal 1010-A, Caracas, DC,
Venezuela.
 
 
 
* Corresponding author. E-mail: rojas_runjaic@yahoo.com
 1*2,3 and César L. Barrio-Amorós 4
First record of the Amazonian tiny tree toad Amazophrynella
minuta (Melin, 1941) (Anura: Bufonidae), for Venezuela
herpetological collection of the aforementioned institution
       
       
del Poder Popular para el Ambiente of Venezuela.
        
         
    
        
aproximately 22:00 h, in the leaf-litter near a small creek
in primary rainforest (Figure 3). This specimen represents
Amazophrynella minuta for Venezuela,
      
 

Brazil (type locality), the two closest known localities. The
presence of this bufonid in Amazonas, Venezuela is not
completely unexpected because the herpetofauna of this
region has many Amazonian elements (Barrio-Amorós
Figure 1.Amazoprhynella minuta
from Venezuela.

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Rojas-Runjaic et al. | First record of Amazophrynella minuta for Venezuela
Figure 2.Amazophrynella minuta


Figure 3. Habitat at the locality where the specimen of Amazoprhynella
minuta (MHNLS 19913) was found.
        
and A. minuta is widely distributed in the Amazon and
Guiana regions (Ávila et al. 2012; Fouquet et al. 2012; Frost
2013). The northern region of Amazonas state, Venezuela,
has been sampled on multiple occasions during the last
two centuries by professional herpetologists so the fact
that so far only one specimen of A. minuta has been found
probably indicates that this small toad occurs at very low
densities.
Some authors have suggested that Amazophrynella
minuta currently represents a complex of cryptic species
(Fouquet et al. 2007; 2012; Ávila et al. 2012). However,
additional detailed work, preferably including several lines
of evidence (e.g. morphological, molecular, behavioral,
ecological), is necessary to assess the taxonomic status of
the populations of toads currently assigned to this taxon.
Acknowledgments:   
de Ciencias Naturales for their logistic support. Also we are indebted to

work with helpful comments.
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revealed by mtDNA analyses. PLoS ONE 2(10): 1-10.
           

2012. Molecular phylogeny and morphometric analyses reveal
deep divergence between Amazonia and Atlantic Forest species of
Dendrophryniscus. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
838.
   Amphibian species of the world: an online reference.
Version 5.6 (9 January 2013). American Museum of Natural History,
       
   
February 2013.

and conservation of Venezuelan amphibians and reptiles. Amphibian
and Reptile Conservation 2(2): 42-70.

In C.A.
Evaluación rápida
de la biodiversidad de los ecosistemas acuáticos en la confluencia de los
ríos Orinoco y Ventuari, estado Amazonas (Venezuela).
Evaluación Biológica 30. Washington DC: Conservación Internacional
: April 2013
: August 2013
: October 2013
