Common Name: Rio Pescado Stubfoot Toad
Scientific Name: Atelopus balios
Family: Bufonidae – True Toad family
Location: Ecuador
Female Size: 1.5 inches (37 mm)
Male Size: 1.0 – 1.2 inches (27 – 30 mm)
The Rio Pescado Stubfoot Toad lives along the streams of rivers in moist lowland forests of Southwestern Ecuador. They are a diurnal species of toad, active during the day when they can be found foraging for insects and other small invertebrates that form a large part of their diet. The breeding season for the toad is during the dry season from June to December. The female toad lays her eggs in the stream, attached to the underside of rocks. Neither of the parents provides any parental care, which is common in the genus. Once the eggs hatch, the tadpoles emerge and feed on algae. The tadpoles take between 2 and a half to 4 months to complete their metamorphosis.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Rio Pescado Stubfoot Toad as Critically Endangered with Extinction, a designation that underscores the dire state of many species within the Atelopus genus, commonly known as Harlequin Toads and Stubfoot Toads. This genus has been particularly devastated by the outbreak of Chytrid Fungus, a virulent fungal pathogen responsible for massive declines in amphibian populations globally. The situation is exacerbated by the toad’s small, restricted habitat range, which is increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities such as farming and mining, leading to habitat destruction and fragmentation.
Luckily, there are a few captive breeding colonies of the Pescado Stubfoot Toad. This help ensures a future for the toad no matter what. One of the colonies is located at the Jambatu Center for Amphibian Research and Conservation (Jambatu Foundation). The foundation is doing the real work to save a lot of frogs and toads.