''Epipedobates machalilla'' is a slender species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" '' Triadobatrachus'' is ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Dendrobatidae Poison dart frog (also known as dart-poison frog, poison frog or formerly known as poison arrow frog) is the common name of a group of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central and South America. These species are ...

Endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found 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 found els ...

to West Ecuador, it lives in dry and low forests and was first described by in 1995. The IUCN have classed it as "

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. Th ...

Description

''Epipedobates machalilla'' has a

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the mos ...

of for males and for females. Their heads are longer than they are wide, and the tympanum is small. The forelimbs have a moderate length and the fingers are unwebbed. The toes do not have lateral fringes and the terminal discs are expanded. It is dark-coffee in colour with a gold

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

and cream ventral surfaces.

Biology

The mating system of the ''Epipedobates machalilla'' includes cephalic amplexus. The female will produce around 15 eggs which are left on the ground or under leaves. The female will then leave, and the male will protect the development of the embryos and carry the larvae. When the tadpoles hatch (around 20 days after fertilization occurs), the male will take the tadpoles to riverbanks or pools of water so metamorphosis and growth can take place. ''Epipedobates machalilla'' displays a cryptic phenotype despite being in the

aposematic Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste o ...

genus '' Epipedobates'' and likely lost an aposematic trait that evolved when ''Epipedobates'' first diverged. However, it is believed that with the high intra-specific phenotypic diversity observed within poison frogs and the role of diet in toxicity that there could be chemically defended ''E. machalilla'' populations.

Distribution

''Epipedobates machalilla'' is endemic to West Ecuador, where it lives in dry and low forests. It mainly occurs in

Azogues Azogues () is the capital of Azogues Canton and of Cañar Province in Ecuador. The population of Azogues is approximately 40,000. Azogues is located at 2,518 meters above sea level (8,261 feet), its population is of 39,848 inhabitants, its aver ...

, Bolívar, El Oro, Guayas, Los Rios and Manabí and has been seen in the

Choco rainforest Choco or Chocó may refer to: * El Chocó, a region in western Colombia and adjacent parts of Panama and Ecuador ** Chocó–Darién moist forests **Pacific/Chocó natural region ** Chocó Department, Colombian administrative region * Choco langua ...

. The species occurs at altitudes between . Recently, the population has been declining due to agriculture and logging.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3022253 Machalilla Endemic fauna of Ecuador Amphibians of Ecuador Amphibians described in 1995 Taxa named by Luis Aurelio Coloma Taxonomy articles created by Polbot