Atelopus cruciger Lichtenstein & Martens, 1856
Rancho Grande harlequin frog, Veragua stub(-)footed toad
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Conservation Status
Last record: 1982 or 1986
Rediscovered in 2003
IUCN RedList status: Critically Endangered
Distribution
Venezuela
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Lichtenstein, M. H C. and E. Martens. (1856). Nomenclator Reptilium et Amphibiorum Musei Zoologici Berolinensis. Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin, Germany.
Other references:
Andreone, Franco et al. (2022). Threatened and extinct amphibians and reptiles in Italian natural history collections are useful conservation tools. Acta Herpetologica 17(1): 45-58. doi:10.36253/a_h-12349
Anonymous. (2003). Back from extinction: the rediscovery of the Rancho Grande Harlequin Frog (Atelopus cruciger) in Venezuela. Brit. Dendrobatid Grp. News 49: 21-22.
Ballestas, O., Lampo, M. and Rodríguez, D. (2021). Living with the pathogenic chytrid fungus: Exploring mechanisms of coexistence in the harlequin toad Atelopus cruciger. PLoS ONE 16(7): e0254439. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254439
Bonaccorso, E., Guayasamin, J.M., Méndez, D. and Speare, R. (2003). Chytridomycosis as a possible cause of population declines in Atelopus cruciger (Anura: Bufonidae)/Chytridiomycosis in a Venezuelan amphibian (Bufonidae: Atelopus cruciger). Herpetological Review 34(4): 331-334.
Cocroft, R. B., McDiarmid, R. W., Jaslow, A. P., & Ruiz-Carranza, P. M. (1990). Vocalizations of eight species of Atelopus (Anura: Bufonidae) with comments on communication in the genus. Copeia 1990(3): 631-643.
Guayasamin, J.M., Bonaccorso, E.A., Speare, R. and Mendez, D. (2002). The roles of climatic variation and chytridiomicosis in declining populations of Atelopus cruciger (Anura: Bufonidae) in Venezuela. Abstract, ASIH Annual Conference.
ICZN.2002. Opinion 2013 (Case 3137). Phrynidium crucigerum Lichtenstein and Martens, 1856 (currently Atelopus cruciger; Amphibia, Anura): proposed conservation of the specific name by the designation of a neotype. Bull. Zool. Nomencl 59: 226–227.
Guayasamin, J.M., E.A. Bonaccorso, R. Speare, D. Mendez. (2003). The roles of climatic variation and pathogenic fungus in declining populations of Atelopus cruciger (Anura: Bufonidae) in Venezuela. Joint Meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Herpetologists' League, and Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 4-8 July 2002, Kansas City, USA.
Jaynes, Kyle E. et al. (2022). Harlequin frog rediscoveries provide insights into species persistence in the face of drastic amphibian declines. Biological Conservation 276: 109784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109784
Lampo, Margarita and Señaris, Celsa J. (2022). Action plan for Atelopus cruciger. Unpublished report.
Lötters, S., W. Böhme, and R. Günther. (1998). Notes on the type material of the Neotropical Harlequin Frogs Atelopus varius (Lichtenstein and Martens, 1856) and Atelopus cruciger (Lichtenstein and Martens, 1856) deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde of Berlin (Anura, Bufonidae). Mitteil. Mus. Naturkd. Berlin (Zool. Reihe) 74:173–184.
Lötters, S. and E. La Marca. (2001). case 3173. Phrynidium crucigerum Lichtenstein and Martens, 1856 (currently Atelopus cruciger; Amphibia, Anura): proposed conservation of the specific name by the designation of a neotype. Bull. Zool. Nomencl 58:119–121.
Lötters, S., La Marca, E. and Vences, M. (2004). Redescriptions of two toad species of the genus Atelopus from coastal Venezuela. Copeia: 222-234. [Abstract]
Manzanilla, J. and La Marca, E. (1999). Disminución de las poblaciones de Atelopus cruciger (Lichtenstein et Martens, 1856) (Anura: Bufonidae), Venezuela. Libro de Resúmenes, V Congreso Latinoamericano de Herpetología: 79.
Manzanilla, J. and La Marca, E. (2004). Museum records and field samplings as source of data pointing to population crashes for Atelopus cruciger, a proposed critically endangered species from the Venezuelan coastal range. Memoria de la Fundación La Salle de Ciencias Naturales: 5-29.
Manzanilla, J. & La Marca, E. (2004). Population status of the Rancho Grande harlequin frog (Atelopus cruciger Lichtenstein and Martens 1856), a proposed critically endangered species from the Venezuelan Coastal Range. Memoria de la Fundacion La Salle de Ciencias Naturales. Caracas, 62: 5-29.
Jesús Manzanilla, Enrique La Marca, Ronald Heyer, Ernesto Fernández-Badillo. (2004). Atelopus cruciger. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. (http://www.iucnredlist.org). Downloaded on 07 July 2012.
Mebs, D. (1980). Zur Fortpflanzung von Atelopus cruciger (Amphibia. Salientia. Bufonidae). Salamandra 16: 65–81.
Müller, L. (1934). Über eine neue Rasse von Atelopus cruciger (Licht. u. Marts) von Venezuela. Zool. Anz 108:145–155.
Müller, L. (1935). Sobre una nueva raza de “Atelopus cruciger” Licht. & Marts. de Venezuela. Acad. Cienc. Fís., Mat. Nat: 1–10.
Rivas Fuenmayor, G. 1998. Geographic distribution. Anura. Atelopus cruciger. Herpetol. Rev 29: 172.
Rodriguez-Contreras, A., Senaris, J. C., Lampo, M., & Rivero, R. 2008. Rediscovery of Atelopus cruciger (Anura: Bufonidae): current status in the Cordillera de La Costa, Venezuela. Oryx 42(2): 301-304.
SCAPNHP. (2003). Back from extinction: the rediscovery of the Rancho Grande harlequin frog (Atelopus cruciger) in Venezuela URL: www.pnhp.com
Scheffers, Brett R., Yong, Ding Li, Harris, J. Berton C., Giam, Xingli and Sodhi, Navjot S. (2011). The world’s rediscovered species: back from the brink? PLoS ONE 6(7): e22531. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0022531 [Supporting Information (Table S1)]
Señaris, Celsa et al. (2023). Breeding site fidelity of the critically endangered toad Atelopus cruciger (Anura: Bufonidae): implications for its conservation. Salamandra 59(3): 217-228.
Sexton, O. (1958). Observations on the life history of a Venezuelan frog, Atelopus cruciger. Acta Biol. Venezuelica 2(21): 235–242.
United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. (2008). Review of non-Cites Amphibia that are known or likely to be in international trade, Part II. A report to the European Commission Directorate General E - Environment ENV.E.2. – Environmental Agreements and Trade, 65 pp.