''Phytotriades'' is a genus of

tree frog A tree frog (or treefrog) is any species of frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. Several lineages of frogs among the Neobatrachia suborder have given rise to treefrogs, although they are not clos ...

s in the family

Hylidae Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as " tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semiaquatic. Taxonomy and ...

. As currently delimited, the genus is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

and contains ''Phytotriades auratus'', commonly known as the golden tree frog, bromeliad-dwelling treefrog, El Tucuche golden tree frog, or Trinidad heart-tongued frog.

Taxonomy

''Phytotriades'' was separated from the genus ''

Phyllodytes ''Phyllodytes'' is a genus of frogs (heart-tongued frogs) in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to eastern Brazil. Taxonomy Based on genetic evidence, genus '' Phytotriades'' was erected in 2009 to remedy polyphyly of ''Phyllodytes'' as then def ...

'' based primarily on genetic evidence; this also solved the unusual, disjunct distribution of the genus (the remaining ''Phyllodytes'' are endemic to eastern Brazil). Nevertheless, the contents of the genus remain to be elucidated. Earlier on, also '' Phyllodytes wuchereri'' was included in the "''Phyllodytes auratus'' group", but the position of this species has not been addressed. At the moment, it is not clear which ''Phyllodytes'' species might eventually end up in this genus. AmphibiaWeb continues to include ''Phytotriades auratus'' in ''Phyllodytes''.

Distribution

''Phytotriades auratus'' is known from the summits of El Cerro del Aripo and

El Tucuche El Tucuche (936 m) is the second highest peak in Trinidad's Northern Range and is noted for its interesting pyramidal shape. It is fabled in Amerindian lore as a sacred mountain. There are Amerindian petroglyphs on a rock outcrop below the mount ...

, the two highest peaks in

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

, as well as from Cerro Humo on the

Paria Peninsula The Paria Peninsula () is a large peninsula on the Caribbean Sea, in the state of Sucre in northern Venezuela. Geography Separating the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Paria, the peninsula is part of the mountain range, in the Venezuelan Coa ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

, on the adjacent mainland. There is circumstantial evidence suggesting that the species might also occur (or have occurred) on the

Isla Margarita Margarita Island (, ) is the largest island in the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, situated off the north west coast of the country, in the Caribbean Sea. The capital city of Nueva Esparta, La Asunción, is located on the island. History ...

Description

Males grow to and females to in snout–vent length. They have serrated teeth and sharp "fangs", larger in males than in females, on their mandibles. The dorsum is chocolate brown in colour and has two iridescent, golden yellow stripes. Males are territorial and can use their fangs in combat. Males are not known to call (this feature separates ''Phytotriades'' from ''Phyllodytes''). Fecundity is probably low, with maximally 5–6

tadpole A tadpole or polliwog (also spelled pollywog) is the Larva, larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully Aquatic animal, aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial animal, ...

s found in a single bromeliad tank. The tadpoles hatch at a length of and grow to .

Habitat and conservation

On Trinidad, the species occurs in montane rainforest and

elfin woodland A "natural National Park in the Philippines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site file:Mount Kemiri (8187817161).jpg, An elfin forest in Sumatra's Gunung Leuser National Park Dwarf forest, elfin forest, or pygmy forest is an uncommon ecosystem feat ...

at around

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. On Cerro Humo, the species was found in the elfin forest near the summit of the mountain (). ''Phytotriades auratus'' is closely associated with the giant bromeliad '' Glomeropitcairnia erectiflora''; also the

s develop in these bromeliads. Trinidadian populations are threatened by the collection of bromeliads and collecting of specimens. The Northern Range Game Sanctuary (also known as the El Tucuche Reserve) provides some protection to one of the populations. On Cerro Humo, a part of the habitat falls within the Península de Paria National Park, although enforcement remains limited. Clearance for

slash-and-burn Slash-and-burn agriculture is a form of shifting cultivation that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a Field (agriculture), field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody p ...

plots threatens the potential habitat of the species on the slopes of the mountain. The species appears to be specialized for life in high humidity relatively cool tropical montane forests on isolated mountain crests and peaks. With the threat of global climate change, and specifically warming, temperatures are expected to rise even in mountainous regions. This seems likely to result in the uphill retreat of cool-adapted tropical montane forests and the shrinking of the already small range of this frog.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28005349 Hylidae Amphibians of the Caribbean Amphibians of South America Monotypic amphibian genera Amphibians of Trinidad and Tobago Amphibians of Venezuela Amphibian genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot