Ameerega yoshina

Ameerega yoshina from the Serrania de Contamana, Loreto, Peru. Photo by Jason Brown.

Distribution

Known from two localities in Peru: Serrania de Contamana, Loreto (310 m) and Callanayacu, south bank of Rio Huallaga, San Martin (261 m). These localities are separated by the Ucayali floodplain which may be a significant barrier between populations, as this species appears to be restricted to premontane habitats. View type locality in Google Maps.

Natural history

This species occurs near streams and has only been found in undisturbed habitats. Within these habitats, the frogs appear to be patchily distributed, but can be common in some areas. Despite the fact that this species is easily detected by their incessant, distinctive call, they are exceedingly cryptic and thus nearly impossible to find. Tadpole deposition occurs in small streams and forest pools. In the Serrania de Contamana, A. yoshina is sympatric with A. ignipedis, A. hahneli, and A. trivittata. In Callanayacu, A. yoshina is sympatric with A. altamazonica, A. trivittata, and A. cainarachi.

Call recording

Conservation status

Brown and Twomey (2009) suggest this species be listed as Near Threatened under IUCN criteria. Much of this species’ potential habitat is protected in the Cordillera Azul National Park, although the extent to which this species occurs in the park remains unknown.

Notes

Ameerega yoshina is likely the sister species of A. bassleri, although the phylogenetics of this group are particularly complicated, which may be attributable to incomplete lineage sorting and/or introgression. However, A. yoshina has a distinct call which is immediately recognizable from A. bassleri, a character which we suggest warrants full-species status.

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