Hyloscirtus sethmacfarlanei

Hyloscirtus sethmacfarlanei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Genus: Hyloscirtus
Species:
H. sethmacfarlanei
Binomial name
Hyloscirtus sethmacfarlanei
Reyes-Puig, Recalde, Recalde, Koch, Guayasamin, Cisneros-Heredia, Jost, and Yánez-Muñoz, 2022

Hyloscirtus sethmacfarlanei, commonly known as Seth MacFarlane's torrent frog, is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to forest habitats in Ecuador. It has been observed in the Machay Reserve on Cerro Mayordomo, at 2970 meters above sea level.[1][2]

The adult female frog measures about 72 mm in snout-vent length.[2] Adult frogs are black with distinctive orange or red spots. Young frogs are bright yellow. Scientists note that the frog is toxic: Handling specimens with bare skin caused tingling, itching, and pain that lasted for hours. They believe the frog may secrete a chemical that makes it taste bad to predators or causes predators to sicken and that the coloration may be aposematic.[3][4]

Scientists observed this frog sitting in bromeliad plants 60–90 cm above the forest floor.[2]

The species was named in honour of Family Guy creator and television performer Seth MacFarlane.[3]

References

  1. ^ Frost, Darrel R. "Hyloscirtus sethmacfarlanei Reyes-Puig, Recalde, Recalde, Koch, Guayasamin, Cisneros-Heredia, Jost, and Yánez-Muñoz, 2022". Amphibian Species of the World, an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Poulette K. Paredes (September 29, 2022). "Hyloscirtus sethmacfarlanei Rivera-Correa & Faivovich, 2013". AmphibiaWeb (in Spanish). University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Liz Kimbrough (October 10, 2022). "Toxic new frog species from Ecuador named after Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane". Mongabay. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  4. ^ Reyes-Puig, J. P.; Recalde, D.; Recalde, F.; Koch, C.; Guayasamin, J. M.; Cisneros-Heredia, D. F.; Jost, L.; Yánez-Muñoz, M. H. (2022). "A spectacular new species of Hyloscirtus (Anura: Hylidae) from the Cordillera de Los Llanganates in the eastern Andes of Ecuador". PeerJ (full text). 10: e14066. doi:10.7717/peerj.14066. PMC 9527025. PMID 36196397.