Rio Pescado Stubfoot Toad (Atelopus balios)

The Rio Pescado stubfoot toad is a species of true toad found only in the Pacific lowlands of southwestern Ecuador, across Azuay, Canar, and Guayas provinces, in a range that includes no protected areas. It is a nocturnal toad of tropical lowland rainforest streams at elevations between 200 and 460 meters, with a pointed snout, long slender limbs, partially webbed digits, an olive green back marked with black spots, orange palms and soles, and a cream yellow underside, males measuring 27 to 29 millimeters and noticeably smaller than females at 35 to 37 millimeters. Long believed extinct, it was rediscovered in 2011 when a single specimen was found by Conservation International researchers. The species is critically endangered, threatened by chytridiomycosis together with agriculture, logging, and pollution.