''Eleutherodactylus luteolus'' 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

Eleutherodactylidae The Eleutherodactylidae are a family of direct-developing frogs native to northern South America, the Caribbean, and southernmost North America. They are sometimes known under the common name rain frogs. Formerly the subfamily Eleutherodactylina ...

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 ...

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Description TSMF is generally found in large ...

. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

Range description

This species has a restricted range in western

, ranging from sea level up to 680 m above sea level.

Habitat and ecology

This species is an inhabitant of mesic forest on the coast and in the uplands; although associated with closed-canopy forest, it can tolerate some habitat degradation. Males call from the ground or from low vegetation. Eggs are laid on the ground and it breeds by direct development and may be associated with bromeliads.

Population

It has rarely been encountered during the last decade, although it is commonly found in Dolphin Head in extreme western

. It has also been recently seen in Rocklands.(B. Hedges, pers. comm. 2007; K. Jones, pers. comm. 2007). Its population is decreasing; extensive

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

and deforestation is taking place within its range, caused by agriculture, human settlement and logging. It occurs in several forest reserves, but these do not guarantee the species' long-term protection, and improved and strengthened management of these existing protected areas is clearly needed.

References

''Eleutherodactylus luteolus''
In: AmphibiaWeb (Map of Life). Downloaded on 3 July 2020. luteolus Endemic fauna of Jamaica Amphibians of Jamaica Amphibians described in 1851 Taxa named by Philip Henry Gosse Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Eleutherodactylus-stub