A new study by Germán Chávez and Alessandro Catenazzi, published this month in Phyllomedusa, provides the first-ever record of Buenaventura's glassfrog (Nymphargus buenaventura) in Peru. This discovery significantly expands the known geographic distribution of this elusive species by 180 km southward from its previously recorded range in Ecuador.
The team identified a population of these translucent frogs at 1,800 m a.s.l. in the Agua Blanca Village, located in the Cordillera de Huancabamba of northwestern Peru. To confirm the identity of the specimens, the researchers combined morphological observations with molecular analyses of 16S rRNA sequences, which showed only a minimal 1.08% genetic divergence from populations in Ecuador.
Beyond the new locality, the paper offers exciting new insights into the species' natural history. For the first time, researchers recorded and quantitatively described the frog's advertisement call, which is a tonal, high-pitched "chirp" with a dominant frequency between 3.37 and 3.65 kHz. The team observed egg clutches containing 47 to 52 embryos, exceeding the maximum clutch size of 46 previously reported for the species in Ecuador. Males were found calling from leaves approximately 1.2–1.9 m above streams in secondary forest patches.
Despite the range extension, the authors note that very little is still known about the population sizes or trends for this species. Consequently, they recommend placing N. buenaventura in the Data Deficient category of the IUCN Red List until further research can better define its conservation status.
The team identified a population of these translucent frogs at 1,800 m a.s.l. in the Agua Blanca Village, located in the Cordillera de Huancabamba of northwestern Peru. To confirm the identity of the specimens, the researchers combined morphological observations with molecular analyses of 16S rRNA sequences, which showed only a minimal 1.08% genetic divergence from populations in Ecuador.
Beyond the new locality, the paper offers exciting new insights into the species' natural history. For the first time, researchers recorded and quantitatively described the frog's advertisement call, which is a tonal, high-pitched "chirp" with a dominant frequency between 3.37 and 3.65 kHz. The team observed egg clutches containing 47 to 52 embryos, exceeding the maximum clutch size of 46 previously reported for the species in Ecuador. Males were found calling from leaves approximately 1.2–1.9 m above streams in secondary forest patches.
Despite the range extension, the authors note that very little is still known about the population sizes or trends for this species. Consequently, they recommend placing N. buenaventura in the Data Deficient category of the IUCN Red List until further research can better define its conservation status.
Citation: Chávez, G. and A. Catenazzi. 2025. Notes on the distribution and advertisement call of Nymphargus buenaventura (Anura: Centrolenidae), with comments on its natural history and conservation. Phyllomedusa 24(2): 271–279.
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