Climate change, habitat degradation, deadly infectious diseases, and invasive species have endangered the harlequin frog in recent decades.
Get to know this rare amphibian that is only found in the Andes.
Species diversity
This group of amphibians has about 96 known species, of which at least 80 are included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
By 2018, 37 of these species had disappeared from their habitats despite conservationists’ efforts.
Characteristics and distribution
Harlequin frogs, of the Atelopus genus, stand out for their striking color palette, which includes shades of orange, green, gold, blue, and purple. Recently, a species with a black body and bright yellow spots has been observed, known as the “clown frog”.
These frogs are small, measuring no more than 3 centimeters in length, and are mainly found in South America and Central America, in countries such as Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname.
Causes of the threat of extinction
The main threats to the harlequin frog include infectious diseases such as chytridiomycosis, habitat destruction, and invasive species, in addition to the consequences of climate change.
Their sensitivity to environmental changes, due to their skin respiration, makes them especially vulnerable.
Rediscovery and conservation
In 2019, for the first time since 1991, a group of biologists documented the presence of the starry night harlequin frog, a species with black and yellow coloration.
This discovery was made in collaboration with the indigenous Arhuaco community of Sogrome in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia.
Ecological importance
The health and presence of harlequin frogs in different parts of the world are indicators of water quality and the state of the environment in the areas where they live.
Their sensitivity to environmental changes allows local residents to detect problems before they become critical.
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