Atelopus halihelos
Atelopus halihelos, the Morona-Santiago stubfoot toad, is a critically endangered species found only in Ecuador. It lives in subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and near rivers. The main threats are habitat loss and the deadly chytridiomycosis fungal disease, which has caused huge biodiversity losses worldwide. Scientists estimate that only 0–49 individuals remain in the wild. One of the last known toads was named Sad Santiago. An expedition led by Jaime Culebras tried to breed him with a female found in the cloud forest of the Ecuadorian Andes, but that attempt did not produce eggs. A later expedition found one male and one female that did reproduce, giving some hope for the species. A 2019 Science article by Scheele and colleagues discusses how the amphibian fungal outbreak is causing widespread biodiversity loss, including for this species.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:41 (CET).