Seegobin's Tepui Toad

A small species (up to 20.6 mm SVL in male, female unknown), characterized by the following suite of characters: frontoparietal crests indistinct; postorbital crests prominent; prominent short suborbital crests; dorsal skin minutely spiculate with scattered medium to large, elevated, oval and round tubercles; ventral skin anteriorly rugose with few large, flat, round granules, posteriorly tuberculate; webbing on hand and foot well-developed; adult dorsal color in life blackish brown, adult ventral color in life dark brownish orange; one vocal slit present on the left or on the right side of the floor of the buccal cavity.Frank and Ramus (1995) proposed the English vernacular name "bush toads" for Oreophrynella species. The use of "bush" is imprecise and we prefer the name "tepui toads" for species of the genus Oreophrynella, which are all endemics to tepui summits and slopes. The English vernacular name of Oreophrynella seegobini should thus be Seegobin's tepui toad.

Currently known only from the type locality, the summit of Maringma tepui in Guyana at 2088 m elevation. Summit vegetation on Mount Maringma consists of a mixture of very dense low vegetation (the "tepui meadow") with plants of the families Bonnetiaceae (e.g. Bonnetia roraima), Bromeliaceae (e.g. Brocchinia tatei), Clusiaceae (e.g. Clusia spp.), Orchidaceae, Rapateaceae (e.g. Stegolepis guianensis), Sarraceniaceae (e.g. Heliamphora nutans), Xyridaceae (e.g. Orectanthe spectrum), large areas of quaking peat bog, and patches of dwarf forests largely dominated by Bonnetia roraimae. Rocky outcrops are small and very limited in number. Swampy pools--full of organic matter--are numerous, sometimes very deep, often covered by a mattress of thick vegetation. Only the very top of the tepui has solid "dry" ground. The tepui plateau is not completely flat but having different levels reminding of steps of a staircase; its total surface is roughly 170 ha.

A diurnal, terrestrial species. Males emit a soft "peep" in early morning and before sunset. Apparently very rare, but the species might be more abundant than expected (difficult to find due to minute size and cryptic coloration). Reproductive biology unknown, but probably a direct developer.

Unknown. Due to restricted distribution and habitat specialization, the species might be threatened by global climate change.