Pristimantis actinolaimus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pristimantis actinolaimus
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Strabomantidae
Genus:	Pristimantis
Subgenus:	Pristimantis
Species:	P. actinolaimus
Binomial name
Pristimantis actinolaimus (Lynch [fr] and Rueda-Almonacid [fr; es], 1998)
Pristimantis actinolaimus is only known from Samaná in the Cordillera Central of Colombia.
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Synonyms
Eleutherodactylus actinolaimus Lynch and Rueda-Almonacid, 1998

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The Pristimantis actinolaimus is a type of frog that belongs to the Strabomantidae family. This special frog is found only in Colombia. It lives near a place called El Estadero in Samaná. This area is on the eastern side of the Central Mountain Range. The name actinolaimus comes from two Greek words. Aktinos means "ray" and laimos means "throat." This name describes the cool ray-like lines on the frog's throat.

What This Frog Looks Like

Male Pristimantis actinolaimus frogs are about 22 to 28 millimeters (0.9 to 1.1 inches) long. Female frogs are a bit bigger, measuring 32 to 36 millimeters (1.3 to 1.4 inches). This measurement is from their snout (nose) to their vent (bottom).

Their head is narrower than their body. It is also longer than it is wide. The frog's snout looks long and pointy from above. From the side, it looks rounded. There is a small bump on their upper eyelid.

The frog has a round eardrum, called a tympanum. A fold of skin hides the top part of this eardrum. All of their fingers and toes have wide, flat tips. These tips help them grip surfaces.

The back of the frog, called the dorsum, is olive-brown or greenish-yellow. It has dark green stripes near its eyes and a bar between its eyes. The sides of its head are yellowish with thin brown stripes on its lips.

The frog's sides have wide, olive-green diagonal stripes. Its groin area and the hidden parts of its thighs are rosy-yellow. The back of its thighs might have tiny white or yellow spots. The underside of the frog is yellow to rosy-yellow. It has reddish-brown lines that spread out from its throat. There are also tiny brown specks all over its belly.

The eye color is different for males and females. Females have bright yellow eyes. Males have red or orange eyes.

Where It Lives and Its Life Cycle

The Pristimantis actinolaimus frog lives in the lower parts of very wet, natural forests. These forests are found at high places, from about 1,940 to 2,200 meters (6,360 to 7,220 feet) above sea level.

Scientists first found these frogs on low plants, no higher than 1.5 meters (5 feet) off the ground. These frogs have a special way of growing up. They lay their eggs on the ground. The eggs then hatch directly into tiny frogs. This means they do not have a tadpole stage that lives in water.

Protecting This Frog

This frog is quite rare. Outside of the area where it was first found, its home is shrinking. This is because people are cutting down trees for wood. They are also clearing land for farms and for planting pine trees.

Good news! This frog lives in a protected area. It can be found in the Selva de Florencia National Natural Park. This park helps keep its habitat safe.