Review and analysis of altitudinal distribution of the Andean anurans in Colombia

Abstract

In the following work we examine the richness and altitudinal distribution of Colombian Andean anurans trying to emphasize patterns of distribution. We also supply an updated checklist of Andean anurans in Colombia. At present, Colombian harbors about 396 Andean frogs: 153 species in the Cordillera Occidental, 187 species in the Cordillera Central, and 131 species in the Cordillera Oriental. Of these, the Cordillera Oriental presents the higher number and percentage of endemic species. The frequency distribution of altitudinal ranges for Colombian Andean frogs shows that the majority of species have narrow altitudinal ranges, less than 500 m altitude, and only a few species have broad altitudinal distributions. On the other hand, lowland species have broader altitudinal ranges than do highland species. The hypothesis of a wider altitudinal range of highland anurans is therefore not supported. Finally, the averages of the Jaccard similarity indices for the Andean anurans along altitudinal gradients in Colombian are approximately similar to those of other tropical anurans reported by Huey (1978), but notably lower than those of anurans of temperate localities. Thus, these results are in concordance with Janzen's hypothesis (1967) about a broader altitudinal range for temperate species, likely because of their higher thermal tolerance.

Extinction risk or lack of sampling in a threatened species: Genetic structure and environmental suitability of the neotropical frog Pristimantis penelopus (Anura: Craugastoridae)

“…Piristimantis penelopus distribution has been restricted to the sub-Andean forests of the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central in Antioquia and Caldas Departments (Lynch & Rueda-Almonacid, 1999;Bernal & Lynch, 2008) at elevations between 1,180 to 1,500 m. Several authors (Castro et al, 2004; Stu- Llano-Mejía et al, 2010) mentioned the presence of P. penelopus in Tolima department but no voucher specimens support its presence. Combining specimen examination, genetic analysis, and niche modeling, we show that Pristimantis penelopus is distributed along the eastern flank of the Cordillera Central in Caldas and Antioquia, the western flank of the Cordillera Oriental in Santander, north of Serranía San Lucas in Bolívar, and the western flank of the Cordillera Central in Antioquia.…”

Thermal Tolerance in Anuran Embryos with Different Reproductive Modes: Relationship to Altitude

“…Direct development species, as those of the genus Pristimantis and Eleutherodactylus , can be found in Colombia from the sea level to more than 4000 m altitude [36, 37]. Species with aquatic reproduction and larval development can be also distributed from the sea level, as Rhinella marina , to high mountains as the Andean frog D. labialis found at 4000 m altitude.…”

DIET OF DIRECT-DEVELOPING FROGS (ANURA: CRAUGASTORIDAE: Pristimantis) FROM THE ANDES OF WESTERN COLOMBIA

“…A sizable number of Pristimantis is found in the Western Cordillera of the Andes, where it is the most common anuran group (Lynch, 1998a). The mountains of southwestern Colombia present unique anuran assemblages composed of more than 150 species above 1000 m a.s.l (Bernal and Lynch, 2008), but little is known about the diet of these species.…”