''Batrachyla fitzroya'' is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

in the family

Batrachylidae Batrachylidae is a Family (biology), family of frogs from southern South America (Argentina and Chile). Before being recognized as a family, Batrachylidae was included as a subfamily (Batrachylinae) in the family Ceratophryidae; this is the taxon ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

and only known from its type locality, Isla Grande in Lake Menéndez, in the

Los Alerces National Park Los Alerces National Park () is located in the Andes in Chubut Province in the Patagonian region of Argentina. Its western boundary coincides with the Chilean border. Successive glaciations have molded the landscape in the region creating spect ...

Chubut Province Chubut ( from Tehuelche language, Tehuelche 'transparent'; ) is a provinces of Argentina, province in southern Argentina, situated between the 42nd parallel south (the border with Río Negro Province), the 46th parallel south (bordering Santa ...

. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''fitzroya'' refers to ''

Fitzroya cupressoides ''Fitzroya'' is a monotypic genus in the cypress family. The single living species, ''Fitzroya cupressoides'', is a tall, long-lived conifer native to the Andes mountains and coastal regions of southern Chile, and only to the Argentine Andes, w ...

'', a prominent tree at the type locality.

Description

The

type series In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally associated. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes t ...

consists of three males and two females measuring in snout–vent length; the

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

, an adult male, measures . They eyes are inconspicuous. The tympanum is small, about half of the eye diameter. The snout is rounded in dorsal view and truncated in lateral view. The fingers and the toes are long; the fingers are free from webbing but the toes are basally webbed. The dorsum is brown with darker, diffuse blotches. There is a V-shaped inter-ocular band and concave supra-scapular bands. The limbs are cross-banded. The belly is unpigmented apart from some minute gray spots. Dorsal skin is smooth.

Habitat and conservation

This species is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN and as "special value" by scientists within Argentina. The population is vulnerable to stochastic forces, fires, and volcanoes. Fast-moving boats on the lake can cause waves that disrupt the frog's breeding sites.

Introduction Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to: General use * Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music * Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and g ...

of the

American mink The American mink (''Neogale vison'') is a semiaquatic species of Mustelidae, mustelid native to North America, though human introduction has expanded its range to many parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. Because of range expansion, the Am ...

to the area may also pose a significant threat: Scientists from the IUCN believe that the frog could become critically endangered due to mink predation if effective measures are not taken. The type locality is a very humid temperate ''

Nothofagus ''Nothofagus'', also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 43 species of trees and shrubs native to the Southern Hemisphere, found across southern South America (Chile, Argentina) and east and southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Guin ...

''-dominated forest at

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 ...

. Breeding habitat is unknown but could be small temporary pools. The species is locally common within its restricted range. Isla Grande is a highly protected area and entirely with the limits of the Los Alerces National Park.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2209282

fitzroya ''Fitzroya'' is a monotypic genus in the cypress family. The single living species, ''Fitzroya cupressoides'', is a tall, long-lived conifer native to the Andes mountains and coastal regions of southern Chile, and only to the Argentine Andes, w ...

Amphibians of Patagonia Amphibians of Argentina Endemic fauna of Argentina Amphibians described in 1994 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot