A new species of Brachycephalus (Anura: Brachycephalidae) from Santa Catarina, southern Brazil

• Main Authors: Marcos R. Bornschein, Luiz F. Ribeiro, David C. Blackburn, Edward L. Stanley, Marcio R. Pie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PeerJ Inc. 2016-10-01
• Series: PeerJ
• Subjects: Abundance; Conservation; Microendemism; Atlantic Rainforest; Montane forest; Microcomputed tomography
• Online Access: https://peerj.com/articles/2629.pdf

A new species of Brachycephalus (Anura: Brachycephalidae) is described from the Atlantic Forest of northeastern state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. Nine specimens (eight adults and a juvenile) were collected from the leaf litter of montane forests 790–835 m above sea level (a.s.l.). The new species is a member of the pernix group by its bufoniform shape and the absence of dermal co-ossification and is distinguished from all its congeners by a combination of its general coloration (dorsal region of head, dorsum, legs, arms, and flanks light, brownish green to dark, olive green, with darker region in the middle of the dorsum and a white line along the vertebral column in most specimens) and by its smooth dorsum. The geographical distribution of the new species is highly reduced (extent of occurrence estimated as 25.04 ha, or possibly 34.37 ha). In addition, its habitat has experienced some level of degradation, raising concerns about the future conservation of the species. Preliminary density estimates suggest one calling individual every 3–4 m2 at 815–835 m a.s.l. and every 100 m2 at 790 m a.s.l. Together with the recently described B. boticario and B. fuscolineatus, the new species is among the southernmost species of Brachycephalus known to date.