''Batrachyla nibaldoi'' 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 ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

and known from the Los Lagos and

Aysén Region The Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region (, , '), often shortened to Aysén Region or Aisén,Examples of name usage1, official regional government site refers to the region as "Región de Aysén"., Chile's official meteorological ...

s between

Villa O'Higgins __NOTOC__ Villa O'Higgins is a small town in the Aysén Region of southern Chile, located 220 km south of Cochrane and 550 km south of Coyhaique. Founded in 1966 and named after the Chilean independence hero Bernardo O'Higgins, it is the capital ...

in the south and Kent and

Melchor Island Melchor Island (Spanish ''Isla Melchor'' also known as ''Meleguen'' in the NGA) is an island in the Chonos Archipelago of Chile. See also * List of islands of Chile External links Islands of Chile @ United Nations Environment ProgrammeWorld is ...

s in the north; there is a record from Alao Island further north but this might represent ''

Batrachyla taeniata ''Batrachyla taeniata'' is a species of frog in the family Batrachylidae. It is found in Argentina and Chile. Habitat This frog has been found in a variety of habitats including acacia steppe, rainforests, other forests, marshes, and cold areas. ...

''. 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 ...

''nibaldoi'' honors , Chilean marine biologist, in recognition of his "remarkable contribution to the development of the zoology in Chile". Common name Nibaldo's wood frog has been coined for it.

Description

Adult females measure in snout–vent length; male length is not reported. The snout is rounded in dorsal view and sloping in lateral profile. The tympanum is visible; the supra-tympanic fold is evident. The fingers and toes are slender and have moderately pointed tips. The fingers have no webbing whereas the toes have thin, basal webbing. Dorsal ground color is from light brown or yellowish brown to grayish, with dark brown spots that forming longitudinal lines. There is a dark canthal band, continuing behind the eye to the tympanic region. The ventrum is white.

Habitat and conservation

''Batrachyla nibaldoi'' occur in

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the tropical and subtropica ...

habitat in valleys surrounded by forest of ''

Nothofagus antarctica ''Nothofagus antarctica'' (''Antarctic beech''; in Spanish ''Ñire'' or ''Ñirre'') is a deciduous tree or shrub native to southern Chile and Argentina from about 36°S to Tierra del Fuego (56° S), where it grows mainly in the diminishing tempe ...

'', ''

Nothofagus betuloides ''Nothofagus betuloides'', Magellan's beech or ''guindo'', is a tree native to southern Patagonia. In 1769, Joseph Banks, Sir Joseph Banks collected a botanical specimen, specimen of the tree in Tierra del Fuego during James Cook, Captain Cook's ...

'' and '' Drymis winteri''. They are often found under logs rocks and in shrub habitat. Males call from lagoons and temporary pools with plenty of vegetation. Eggs are laid under rocks and moss and when rain floods, larvae develop in the water. This species is locally abundant, including along the

Carretera Austral The Carretera Austral (CH-7, ''in English: Southern Way'') is the name given to Chile's Route 7. The highway runs south for about from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins, passing through rural Patagonia. Carretera Austral provides road access to ...

. Its range includes protected areas, e.g.,

Laguna San Rafael National Park Laguna San Rafael National Park () is a park located on the Pacific coast of southern Chile. The park is named for the San Rafael Lagoon formed by the retreat of the San Rafael Glacier. Created in 1959, it covers an area of and includes the Nor ...

. The introduced

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 ...

is a potential threat.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2208773 nibaldoi Amphibians of Patagonia Amphibians of Chile Endemic fauna of Chile Amphibians described in 1997 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot