Rhaebo olallai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rhaebo olallai |
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Andinophryne olallai Hoogmoed, 1985 |
The Tandayapa Andes toad (scientific name: Rhaebo olallai) is a special kind of toad. It belongs to the Bufonidae family, which includes many toads. This toad is found only in Ecuador, meaning it is endemic there.
Its common name, Tandayapa Andes toad, comes from a place called Tandayapa in the Pichincha Province of Ecuador. This was the first place scientists found it. However, no one has seen this toad in Tandayapa since 1970, even after many searches. Today, it is only known from one other place in Ecuador, near the Manduriacu River in the Imbabura Province. Some toads found in Colombia were once thought to be Rhaebo olallai, but scientists later found out they were a different species called Rhaebo colomai.
What Does It Look Like?
The Tandayapa Andes toad is a medium-sized toad. Male toads are about 3.7 to 3.8 centimeters (about 1.5 inches) long from their snout to their rear end. Female toads are a bit larger, measuring about 5.7 to 6.0 centimeters (about 2.2 to 2.4 inches) long.
Their back, also called the dorsum, is a coffee-brown color. They have large, easy-to-see glands behind their eyes, called parotoid glands. Their sides also have noticeable glands, which can be in a straight line or in a scattered pattern.
Where It Lives and Why It Needs Help
The Tandayapa Andes toad lives in tropical forests on the western side of the Andes mountains. These forests are often called "premontane" because they are at the base of the mountains.
Scientists found all the toads near the Manduriacu River living close to small forest streams. They were often sitting on branches or leaves, usually about 1.4 meters (about 4.5 feet) above the ground, but sometimes as high as 4 meters (about 13 feet).
This toad is in great danger because its home is disappearing. People are cutting down forests for agriculture (farming) and logging (cutting trees for wood). Other threats include mining and building hydropower dams, which also destroy their natural habitat.
Because only one group of these toads is known to exist, and their habitat is shrinking, the Tandayapa Andes toad is classified as "Critically Endangered". This means it faces a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.
See also
- In Spanish: Sapo andino de Tandayapa para niños
