Guajira stubfoot toad

Description

The Guajira stubfoot toad or Carrikeri harlequin frog,Atelopus carrikeri,is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae.It is about 5 cm (2.0 in) long and typically black,though some populations have orange coloration.This species is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range of northern Colombia.It is critically endangered because of the chytrid fungus,Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis,and habitat destruction due to agriculture.The species had not been seen from 1994 until it was rediscovered in early 2008.The frog is about 5.0 cm long.It has at least two color phases,with the rarer orange population being the one recently rediscovered.However,the frog is typically all black,although it is a slightly lighter shade on its belly.In adults,the skin is smooth except for a patch of spiny warts on the side.The area that these warts cover varies,with some specimens displaying them from their eyes to their arms and others displaying it from their eyes to their femurs.One specimen even had the warts covering the entire body.The Guajira stubfoot toad has short legs with rounded fingers and toes.While its fingers are unwebbed,its toes are broadly webbed,though its first toe is distinct.Its head is as broad as it is long.