About
The Spine-fingered treefrog appears to have undergone a severe decline, and it has not been recorded in recently attempts to locate it leading to fears that this species is extinct.
The most likely reason this species has had such a large decline is the effect of the Chytrid fungus disease. Moreover, there is continuous habitat degradation of the forest between Filo de Caballo and Atoyac due to the transformation to open agricultural lands and farmlands. They are part of the Hylidae or “Treefrogs” families, which have a fossil record going back to the Palaeocene (65 to 53 million years ago), suggesting the Hylid frog lineages originated either in the late Cretaceous or early in the Cenozoic period, around the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs. The Treefrogs diverged from all other amphibians around 50 million years ago, which makes them as distinct from their closest relatives as chinchillas are from porcupines. The range of this species does not include any protected areas. Additional survey work is required to determine whether or not this species is still extant in its natural range, a programme to protect the forest areas surrounding the Cerro Teótepec is also recommended. This species is listed as “Threatened” (Amenazada) by the Mexican government.
- Order: Anura
- Family: Hylidae
- Population: Possibly extinct
- Trend: decreasing
EDGE Score
Distribution
This species is only known from the slopes of Cerro Teótepec, in the Sierra Madre del Sur, in Guerrero, Mexico, at 1,760-2,415m above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology
This species occurs in pine-oak and bamboo-tree fern forests. It is commonly found associated with cascading mountain streams where it breeds.