MESOPOTAMIA BEAKED TOAD
Rhinella rostrata, Colombia

[Photo] © Paula Andrea Romero Ardila

"Although its name might seem to indicate a range in the Persian Gulf, this species is actually named after the Colombian village near its discovery site."


Scientific knowledge of this species is based entirely on the 1914 discovery of two individuals in a creek north of the western Colombian village of Mesopotamia. Like other species in its genus, it is believed to produce eggs that hatch directly into small toads (forgoing the tadpole stage). The species has not been seen since its discovery, and its original habitat is unprotected and under intense pressure from human activities.

The Mesopotamia beaked toad is currently listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. No photographs exist of the species; this drawing was produced from a written description of the specimens in the discovery almost a century ago.

Status: last seen in 1914, listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN Red List

Source: http://www.conservation.org/learn/biodiversity/species/profiles/amphibians/Pages/Rhinella_rostrata.aspx