#anuran

Red pumpkin toadlet (Brachycephalus Pitanga)

Brachycephalus pitanga, the red pumpkin toadlet, is a small and brightly coloured species of anuran in the family Brachycephalidae. It is endemic to Atlantic rainforests in São Paulo state of southeastern Brazil

Another quick write-up today, this time about Cornufer paepkei for Frog Friday. They were only written about in 2015, so there’s not a lot of information on them [1].

Males grow up to 3 cm in length, while females grow up to 4 cm. They appear to be found almost exclusively on rainforest floors, either on the soil or on leaf litter. The males’ “creaky”, low call can be heard both during the day and at night and both during wet and dry times [2].

They haven’t really been reported on since 2015, so while technically they have only been found in one location in western Papua, it is likely that their habitat extends beyond that. Because many individuals were collected in the original study, they are also probably quite common. Some researchers have also seen them in Nutmeg plantations, so while the IUCN still lists them as Data Deficient, they are probably on the safer side [3].

They were named in honour of Dr. Hans-Joachim Paepke, specifically for his 80th birthday and because of his “valuable contributions to ichthyology and herpetology” as a museum curator in a Berlin Nature Museum [2].

Those of you without your glasses on may be asking: "why are there fruit gummies on this leaf?"