Aromobates

Aromobates
Aromobates ornatissimus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Aromobatidae
Subfamily:	Aromobatinae
Genus:	Aromobates Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991
Type species
Aromobates nocturnus Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991
Diversity
18 species (see text)
Synonyms
Nephelobates La Marca, 1994

Aromobates, sometimes known as the skunk frogs, is a genus of frogs from the Andes of Venezuela and Colombia. Originally a monotypic genus consisting of the skunk frog, Aromobates nocturnus alone, it was later[1] expanded to include Nephelobates. These frogs are difficult to differentiate from Allobates without using molecular markers.[2]

Etymology

The generic name derives from the Latin aroma, meaning "sweet odor".[3] The odor of the type species, Aromobates nocturnus, is reminiscent of a skunk.[4][5]

Description

Aromobates are small to medium-sized frogs that have cryptic colouration. They have robust body form and basal to extensive toe webbing. For example, the relatively small Aromobates meridensis and Aromobates walterarpi are around 3 cm (1.2 in) in snout–vent length and have basal webbing only, whereas the relatively large Aromobates nocturnus (up to 62 mm (2.4 in) SVL in females) have webbed feet.[5]

Species

There are 18 species,[2] many of them endangered:[6]

• Aromobates alboguttatus (Boulenger, 1903) (Possibly Extinct)
• Aromobates cannatellai Barrio-Amorós and Santos, 2012
• Aromobates capurinensis (Péfaur, 1993)
• Aromobates duranti (Péfaur, 1985) (Critically Endangered)
• Aromobates ericksonae Barrio-Amorós and Santos, 2012
• Aromobates haydeeae (Rivero, 1978) (Possibly Extinct)
• Aromobates leopardalis (Rivero, 1978) (Possibly Extinct)
• Aromobates mayorgai (Rivero, 1980) (Endangered)
• Aromobates meridensis (Dole and Durant, 1972) (Critically Endangered)
• Aromobates molinarii (La Marca, 1985) (Critically Endangered)
• Aromobates nocturnus Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991 (Critically Endangered)
• Aromobates ornatissimus Barrio-Amorós, Rivero, and Santos, 2011
• Aromobates orostoma (Rivero, 1978) (Critically Endangered)
• Aromobates saltuensis (Rivero, 1980) (Endangered)
• Aromobates serranus (Péfaur, 1985) (Possibly Extinct)
• Aromobates tokuko Rojas-Runjaic, Infante-Rivero, and Barrio-Amorós, 2011
• Aromobates walterarpi La Marca and Otero-López, 2012
• Aromobates zippeli Barrio-Amorós and Santos, 2012

References

1. Grant, T.; Frost, D. R.; Caldwell, J. P.; Gagliardo, R.; Haddad, C. F. B.; Kok, P. J. R.; Means, D. B.; Noonan, B. P.; Schargel, W. E. & Wheeler, W. (2006). "Phylogenetic systematics of dart-poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia, Athesphatanura, Dendrobatidae)" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 299: 1–262. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2006)299[1:psodfa]2.0.co;2. hdl:2246/5803. S2CID 82263880.
2. Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Aromobates Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
3. "aroma". Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper.
4. F. Harvey Pough; et al. (2004). Herpetology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. p. 92. ISBN 0-13-100849-8.
5. Vitt, Laurie J.; Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 487.
6. IUCN (2014). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>". Retrieved 15 August 2014.