Atelopus halihelos, the Morona-Santiago stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.[1] The IUCN estimates that there’s only 0-49 individuals left in the wild.[1]

Atelopus halihelos
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae
Genus: Atelopus
Species:
A. halihelos
Binomial name
Atelopus halihelos
Peters, 1973

An individual named Sad Santiago was one of the last remaining of the species. An expedition, led by Jaime Culebras, aimed to breed him with a female he found in the cloud forest of the Ecuadorian Andes.[2]

While they did not successfully produce any eggs, another expedition was sent and found 1 male and 1 female which successfully produced offspring, raising hope this species can be saved.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2018). "Atelopus halihelos". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T54517A190202584. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T54517A190202584.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Planet Earth's latest drama: the sex life of a frog". Yahoo News. 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2023-12-11.