Common Name: Tri-Colored Harlequin Frog, Tri-Colored Stubfoot Toad, Bolivian Stubfoot Toad
Scientific Name: Atelopus tricolor
Family: Bufonidae – True Toad family
Location: Bolivia and Peru
Female Size: 1.1 – 1.4 inches (29 – 36 mm)
Male Size: 0.75 – 0.86 inches (19 – 22 mm)
The Tri-Colored Harlequin Frog lives near small, fast streams in the eastern Andes. During the breeding season, the male toads call out to attract females in groups of 4 to 10. Once the female toad arrives and the male toad selects a mate, the two move to the stream. There, the female toad lays her eggs and the male toad fertilizes them. Neither provide any parental care.
They are a highly endangered toad. From 2003 to January 2020, no individuals were spotted. Luckily in January 2020, 4 individuals were spotted. Additionally more toads has been spotted. Unfortunately, the habitat of this population is surrounded by agricultural development.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Tri-Colored Harlequin Frog as Critically Endangered with Extinction. It is estimated that the toad has lost 80 – 90% of their population since the 90’s. It is believed that Chytrid Fungus, a deadly fungal pathogen, killed off most of the toads. Most of the species in the genus Atelopus have been decimated by the disease.