Atelopus or Harlequin Frog

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Ecologists at Michigan State University (MSU) and collaborators in Ecuador have found 32 species of an amphibian genus — Atelopus or harlequin frogs — still surviving in the wild. 

• Since the 1980s, a fungus called Bd — short for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis — has been killing off members of more than 500 species of amphibians.
• Humans are responsible for the spread the fungus around the world.
• The harlequin frog genus was hit exceptionally hard by the fungus.
• Over the past four decades 80 per cent of its species were driven to extinction.

Atelopus

• Atelopus is a large genus of Bufonidae, commonly known as harlequin frogs or toads, from Central and South America, ranging as far north as Costa Rica and as far south as Bolivia.
• Atelopus species are small, generally brightly coloured, and diurnal.
• Most species are associated with mid-to-high elevation streams.
• This genus has been greatly affected by amphibian declines, and many species are now considered endangered, while others already are extinct.
• While threatened by habitat loss, pollution, and introduced species, the primary cause of these declines appears to be the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.