This 'starry night' toad was lost to scientists for decades

This 'starry night' toad was lost to scientists for decades



A starry night harlequin toad, or Atelopus aryescue.IMAGE: FUNDACIÓN ATELOPUS
BY MARK KAUFMAN
6 HOURS AGO

There's a magical mountain on the Colombian coast, said Lina Valencia, a biological anthropologist and Colombia conservation officer at Global Wildlife Conservation. The 18,700-foot peak, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, is the tallest coastal mountain on Earth. At different elevations, the peak hosts life found nowhere else.

At about 6,500 feet up, a black toad, spotted in white like an impressionist night sky, inhabits the mountainous land. It's the starry night harlequin toad, or Atelopus aryescue, and conservationists hadn't spotted the ornately decorated species since 1991.

But the indigenous Arhuaco people knew the toad was there, all along. "It was never lost to them, it was lost to science," said Valencia.

Recently the Arhuaco banded with local researchers to document the toad's existence, and the pictures were made available on Wednesday by Global Wildlife Conservation.

More:
https://mashable.com/article/starry-night-harlequin-toad/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29

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https://www.democraticunderground.com/122867164