Variable Harlequin Frog
Atelopus varius
Atelopus varius, the Costa Rican variable harlequin toad or clown frog, is a small Neotropical true toad from the family Bufonidae. Once ranging from Costa Rica to Panama, A. varius is now listed as critically endangered and has been reduced to a single remnant population near Quepos, Costa Rica (rediscovered in 2003), and has only relict populations in western Panama. Recent variation in air temperature, precipitation, stream flow patterns, and the subsequent spread of a pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) linked to global climate change have been the leading cause of decline for A. varius. A. zeteki has been considered a subspecies of A. varius, but is now generally considered a separate species.
From the article Atelopus varius on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Range & habitat
The historic range of A. varius stretched from the Pacific and Atlantic slopes of the Cordilleras de Tilaran mountain range in Costa Rica into western Panama. Suitable habitat includes both pre-montane and lower-montane zones as well as some lowland sites along rocky streams in hilly areas (ranging from 6 to 2,000 metres or 20 to 6,562 feet in elevation).
Wikipedia: “Geographic range”
What it does
A. varius is a diurnal frog often found on rocks or in crevices along streams in humid lowland and montane forests. It is primarily a terrestrial species, only entering the water during breeding season, relying on spray from streams for moisture. The Costa Rican variable harlequin frog is slow moving and often remains in the same area for long periods of time. The conspicuous or aposematic coloration of A. varius likely serves as a warning to potential predators of the toxicity of the frog's integument which contains tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin. Its main food source is small arthropods that are most abundant during the dry season. The only known predator of A. varius is a parasitic sarcophagid fly Notochaeta bufonivora which deposits its larvae on the surface of the frog's thigh. The larvae then proceed to burrow inside the frog and eat it from within.
Wikipedia: “Habitat and ecology”
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Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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Every page naming Atelopus varius in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 21672.