''Leucostethus fugax'', also known as Pastaza rocket frog, 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

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

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 ...

to the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Oriental, southern Ecuador. Although originally only known from the valley of

Pastaza River The Pastaza River (, formerly known as the SumataraEnock, Charles Reginald (1914) ''Ecuador: its ancient and modern history, topography and natural resources, industries and social development'' Charles Scribner's sons, New Yorkpages 177–178 ) ...

, it is now known to be more widespread. Its known range extends close to the Peruvian border and its true range may include Peru.

Description

Adult males measure and adult 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 ...

. Toes have basal webbing. An oblique lateral stripe is present and reaches the eye. The venter is immaculate cream. Adult males have a conspicuously swollen third or fourth finger.

Etymology

Scientists gave this frog the Latin name ''fugax'' for "fugitive" because of the way the frog would jump from their hands, especially those of scientist

Juan A. Rivero Dr. Juan Arturo Rivero Quintero (March 5, 1923 in Santurce, Puerto Rico – March 3, 2014) was a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican biologist who founded the Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo at the University of Puerto Rico's Mayagüez Campus. Education Dr. Rivero ...

Reproduction

Scientists have not reported any observations of the female frog laying eggs, but they infer that the tadpoles swim in streams like their congeners.

Habitat and conservation

''Leucostethus fugax'' inhabits moist forests in a transition zone between humid tropical forest and very humid premontane forest at elevations of

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 ...

. It can occur in both secondary and primary forest. 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 ...

caused by agriculture and logging. It is present in the

Podocarpus National Park Podocarpus National Park () is a national park located in the provinces of Zamora Chinchipe and Loja, in the south-east of Ecuador. It was created in 1982. It covers , from two spurs of the eastern range of the Andes to the basins of the Na ...

. Its range overlaps with , although it has not been recorded there.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2984448 fugax Amphibians of the Andes Amphibians of Ecuador Endemic fauna of Ecuador Amphibians described in 1993 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot