''Hyloxalus cevallosi'', also known as Palanda rocket frog, is a species of

poison dart frog 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 ...

s in the family

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 (biology), family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central America, Central an ...

. It is named after Gabriel Cevallos García, a famous Ecuadorean writer. This species of frog occurs on the east side of the

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

in the

Pastaza Province Pastaza () is a Provinces of Ecuador, province in the Oriente (Ecuador), Oriente of Ecuador located in the eastern jungle. The capital is Puyo, Ecuador, Puyo, founded on May 12, 1899, with a population of 33,325. The city is now accessible by pave ...

. 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 ...

s are very humid premontane and pluvial premontane forests.

Description

''Hyloxalus cevallosi'' is a small ground-dwelling species of frog that is easily overlooked. It is characterized by slanting

lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may also refer to: Biology and healthcare * Lateral (anatomy), a term of location meaning "towards the side" * Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle, an intrinsic muscle of the larynx * Lateral release ( ...

ventrolateral Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position provi ...

, and relatively incomplete

dorsolateral Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position provi ...

stripes, a large tympanum, almost non-fringed toes with no webbing, and a broad abdomen. One male measured and two females in

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 ...

Distribution

''Hyloxalus cevallosi'' is native to the

in central Ecuador where it is present on the eastern side of the Andes between above sea level. it has been recorded from only three localities in the Pastaza Province. Records from elsewhere may refer to this species or ''

Leucostethus fugax ''Leucostethus fugax'', also known as Pastaza rocket frog, is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Oriental (Ecuador), Cordillera Oriental, southern Ecuador. Although originally only ...

'' and require confirmation.

Reproduction

Scientists infer that this frog reproduces the same way other frogs in ''Hyloxalus'' do: The female frog lays eggs on the ground. After the eggs hatch, the adult frogs carry the tadpoles to water.

Status

''Hyloxalus cevallosi'' is currently listed as "

Endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

" by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

on the

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological spe ...

and its population is decreasing. Members of the species live in three localities in a total space less than 500 square kilometers. 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 ...

as the forests of the Amazonian foothills of the Andes are slowly disappearing due to agricultural development and logging. It is not known to live in any protected areas.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1343497 cevallosi Amphibians of Ecuador Endemic fauna of Ecuador Amphibians of the Andes Taxa named by Juan A. Rivero Amphibians described in 1991 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot