identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
6137E4E9B56D591AA8DAF27E0C3F94E0.text	6137E4E9B56D591AA8DAF27E0C3F94E0.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Pristimantis fergusoni Reyes-Puig & Yánez-Muñoz & Ron & Venegas & Ortega & Carrión-Olmedo & Reyes-Puig 2026	<div><p>Pristimantis fergusoni sp. nov.</p><p>Figs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Proposed standard English name: Ferguson’s Robber Frog Proposed standard Spanish name: Cutín de Ferguson</p><p>Pristimantis sp. nov. O INABIO et al. 2023: 41, fig. 166.</p><p>Generic placement.</p><p>The new species is assigned within the genus Pristimantis based in our phylogeny and by having head as wide as body, tympanic membrane, and cranial crests usually differentiated, dentigerous process of vomer present, condition of the adductor muscle “ S ”, terminal discs on digits expanded, Toe V as long or longer than Toe III, skin on dorsum and venter variable (Heinicke et al. 2007).</p><p>Type material.</p><p>Holotype. • DHMECN 13318, adult female (Figs 2, 3, 5, 6), collected by Juan Pablo Reyes-Puig, Esteban Morales, and Luis Recalde, at <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-78.30293&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-1.463851" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -78.30293/lat -1.463851)">Cerro Candelaria Reserve</a>, Rio Verde, Baños, Tungurahua, Ecuador (1.463851°S, 78.302931°W; 3210 m elevation) on 28 December 2016 . Paratypes: • (14 total; 8 ♂ / 6 ♀; Figs 3, 4). Ecuador: DHMECN 13317 and DHMECN 13320 adult females collected in the same locality and collection data of the holotype • DHMECN 19390, adult female collected in the same locality and collection data of the holotype by Juan Pablo Reyes Puig and Esteban Morales on 25 July 2025 • QCAZ 58581, QCAZ 58584, adult females collected by Juan Pablo Reyes-Puig, at <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-78.30314&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-1.462184" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -78.30314/lat -1.462184)">Cerro Candelaria Reserve</a> (1.462184°S, 78.303139°W; 3200 m elevation) on 25 January 2015 • QCAZ 58582, QCAZ 58583, QCAZ 58585 and QCAZ 58586 adult males collected in the same day and by same collectors than QCAZ 58581 • DHMECN 19388 and 19389, males collected at the same locality and data collectors than DHMECN 19390 • DHMECN 16176, male collected at the same locality of the holotype by Juan Pablo Reyes Puig on 11 November 2019; ZSFQ 3874; adult male collected by Carolina Reyes-Puig, Juan Pablo Reyes Puig, David Brito-Zapata, Lía Altamirano, Mateo Toral, Sebastián Ramos, Yelena Macías, Alejandra Romero, Larissa, Samay Lima and Max Cardenas at <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-78.39572&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-1.42616" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -78.39572/lat -1.42616)">Chamana Reserve</a>, Baños, Ulba, Tungurahua (1.42616°S, 78.39572°W; 3015 m elevation) on 7 November 2019 .</p><p>Diagnosis.</p><p>A new species of Pristimantis which can be distinguished by the following unique combination of morphological characters: (1) SVL 18–22.9 mm in females (n = 6) and 12.2–16.4 mm in males (n = 8); (2) skin on dorsum smooth to slightly shagreen with scattered subconical tubercles, more prominent on the head and scapular region in the males, inconspicuous occipital fold present or not; skin on flanks with flattened tubercles and ventrolateral region areolate; skin on venter coarsely areolate with scattered enlarged warts, more evident on males; discoidal fold absent; low dorsolateral folds present, or at least evident in the first half of body; (3) tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus present, its upper and posterolateral margin covered by supratympanic fold; (4) snout short, subacuminate in dorsal view, rounded in profile bearing a pointed papillae on tip (especially distinct in males); (5) upper eyelid with small tubercles and one or three conical and enlarged tubercles; eyelid width less (65 %) than interorbital distance IOD; cranial crests absent; (6) dentigerous processes of vomers absent: (7) males with vocal slits and nuptial pads slightly evident; (8) Finger I shorter than Finger II; discs of digits expanded, slightly truncate apically; (9) fingers bearing distinct narrow lateral fringes; (10) ulnar tubercles present, conical and distinct or weakly defined; tarsal tubercles present (two or four) conical, distinct or low; (11) heel with one or two prominent conical tubercles; outer edge of the tarsus with one or two conical tubercles; inner tarsal fold present; (12) inner metatarsal tubercle elliptical, distinct, two times larger than outer; outer metatarsal tubercle small, ovoid; numerous distinct supernumerary plantar tubercles, low; (13) toes with distinct narrow lateral fringes; basal toe webbing absent; Toe V slightly longer than Toe III (tip of the disc on Toe V scarcely reaching the proximal border of distal subarticular tubercle on Toe IV); toe discs about as large as those on fingers; (14) in life, dorsal pattern range from Light Chrome Orange, Light Orange Yellow, or Lime Green to Cinnamon, with or without Tawny marks in the interorbital area and scapular region; Scarlet flash coloration in the hidden surfaces of posterior limbs and groins (more accentuated in females, males have pale Scarlet tones with Dusky Brown); ventral surface Cream Yellow to Brownish Olive with scarlet coloration on venter and thighs. Shanks, tarsus, palms, and soles with Scarlet tones; iris Spectrum yellow with a median Burnt Orange streak.</p><p>Comparative diagnosis.</p><p>Detailed comparisons between Pristimantis fergusoni sp. nov. and other morphologically similar spiny Pristimantis species from the eastern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes are summarized in Table 2, Figs 6, 7. Pristimantis fergusoni sp. nov. is most similar to Pristimantis gualacenio which possesses subconical, flattened tubercles on the upper eyelid, a rounded snout, rounded tubercles on the heel, black shanks, and hidden surfaces with a dark background and yellow or orange bands. Additionally, Pristimantis gualacenio exhibits dentigerous processes of the vomers (Urgilés et al. 2014). In contrast, P. fergusoni sp. nov., has one to three enlarged, conical tubercles on the upper eyelid; one or two prominent subconical tubercles on the heel; Scarlet shanks and hidden surfaces; and lacks vomerine teeth.</p><p>Another species in the region with conical tubercles on both the upper eyelid and heel is Pristimantis bellae . However, it differs from P. fergusoni sp. nov. by having black coloration with white markings on the hidden surfaces of the groins and thighs (Scarlet in the new species; Fig. 6).</p><p>Pristimantis yanezi Navarrete, Venegas &amp; Ron, 2016, P. galdi, and P. inusitatus do not exhibit flash coloration on the groins. Conversely, P. eriphus Lynch &amp; Duellman, 1980, P. colonensis Mueses-Cisneros, 2007, P. incanus, P. roni, and P. venegasi Ortega, Brito &amp; Ron, 2022 display white or yellow spots on the groins (whereas P. fergusoni exhibits pale Scarlet coloration and iris Spectrum yellow with a median Burnt Orange streak; Fig. 6).</p><p>Other species from the region that show red coloration on the groin include Pristimantis tungurahua Reyes-Puig, Yánez-Muñoz, Cisneros-Heredia &amp; Ramírez, 2010, which differs by having a protruding snout and red coloration on both the groin and axilla (in contrast, P. fergusoni sp. nov. has a short, subacuminate snout in dorsal view with a pointed papilla at the tip, and Scarlet red coloration restricted to the groin). Pristimantis burtoniorum Reyes-Puig, Reyes-Puig, Franco-Mena, Jost &amp; Yánez-Muñoz, 2022 shows darker red tones on the groin and has three or four subconical tubercles on the upper eyelid (vs Scarlet groin coloration and 1–3 enlarged conical tubercles in P. fergusoni sp. nov.); and finally, P. sacharuna Reyes-Puig, Reyes-Puig, Pérez-Lara and Yánez-Muñoz, 2015, which lacks dorsolateral folds and exhibits a single subconical tubercle on the upper eyelid (in contrast to weakly evident dorsolateral folds and 1–3 enlarged conical tubercles in the new species).</p><p>Description of the holotype.</p><p>Adult female (DHMECN 13318; Figs 2, 3) with a robust body and slender limbs; head narrow, not as wide as body, slightly wider than long; head width 40 % of SVL; head length 37 % of SVL; snout short, subacuminate in dorsal view and rounded in lateral view with a point papilla on the tip; eye – nostril distance 104 % of eye diameter; nostrils elliptical, directed laterally; canthus rostralis curved in dorsal view, straight in profile; loreal region concave; lips rounded; upper eyelid bearing low diffuse tubercles with one enlarged conical tubercle; upper eyelid width 65.5 % of IOD; tympanic annulus present, barely defined, with dorsolateral margin covered by supratympanic fold; tympanic membrane present, distinct; tympanum diameter 52 % of eye diameter, tympanum – eye distance 58.3 % of tympanum diameter; one enlarged postrictal tubercle present. Choanae small, ovoid, not concealed by palatal shelf of maxilla; dentigerous processes of vomers absent; tongue slightly longer than wide, not attached in the posterior region, free posteriorly for 2 / 3 of its length.</p><p>Skin on dorsum smooth without scattered tubercles; low dorsolateral fold, evident on that first part of the body; skin on flanks areolate and tuberculated; skin on chest and throat finely areolate and on venter strongly areolate, ventral surfaces of thighs weakly areolate; discoidal fold indistinct; cloacal sheath short; skin in cloacal region tuberculate. Ulnar tubercles present, triangular and low; palmar tubercles present, weakly defined, outer palmar tubercle indistinct, flattened, thenar tubercle present also indistinct; subarticular and hyperdistal tubercles flattened, weakly defined, rounded in ventral and lateral view; small supernumerary tubercles present at the base of fingers, indistinct; fingers bearing distinct lateral narrow fringes; Finger I shorter than Finger II; discs on Finger I, narrow and round, disc on Finger II slightly dilated and round, disc on Fingers III and IV, dilated and slightly truncate; ventral pads on fingers well defined by circumferential grooves on all fingers (Fig. 3).</p><p>Hindlimbs slender, tibia length 55.5 % of SVL; foot length 50.5 % of SVL; dorsal surfaces of hind limbs tuberculate; posterior and ventral surfaces of thighs areolate; knee bearing one distinct conical tubercle; heel bearing one conical tubercle; outer surface of tarsus bearing few low conical tubercles; inner tarsal fold present; inner metatarsal tubercle distinct, elliptical, rounded, two times the size of low, oval, rounded outer metatarsal tubercle; plantar surface tuberculate; subarticular and hyperdistal tubercles distinct, low, rounded in ventral and lateral view; toes bearing distinct narrow lateral fringes; webbing between toes absent; discs nearly as large as those on fingers, most prominent on Toe IV; discs on Toes I, II, and III dilated and rounded, discs on Toes IV and V expanded, weakly truncate; toes having ventral pads well defined by circumferential grooves; relative lengths of toes: I &lt;II &lt;III &lt;V &lt;IV (Fig. 3); Toe V slightly longer than Toe III (disc on Toe III not reaching distal subarticular tubercle on Toe IV, tip of the disc on Toe V scarcely reaching the proximal border of distal subarticular tubercle on Toe IV).</p><p>Measurements of the holotype (in mm).</p><p>SVL 20; TL 11.1; FL 10.1; HL 7.4; HW 8; ED 2.3; TD 1.2; IOD 2.9; EW 1.9; IND 1.7; EN 2.4; FaL: 4.2; Hal; 5.2 TaL: 5.12.</p><p>Color of holotype in life.</p><p>(Figs 4 A, 6 A) Dorsal surfaces are Light Orange Yellow (77). Presence of canthal, supratympanic and two subocular wide bands Light Chrome Orange (76), dorsal forelimbs and hind limbs are Light Orange Yellow (77), concealed surfaces of the groin and posterior surfaces of the shanks Scarlet (69), ventral surfaces Cream Yellow (82) and posterior region of the venter and groins Scarlet. Iris Spectrum Yellow (79) with Burnt Orange (10) medium stripe.</p><p>Color of holotype in preservative.</p><p>(Figs 2, 3) In ethanol, the dorsal surfaces and flanks are Pale Buff (1) banded with, canthus rostralis, upper eyelids, supratympanic fold, and dorsolateral folds Cinnamon (21) brown; ventral surfaces and groins Pale Buff (1) with darker tones, areas with Scarlet color in life became without pigmentation and pale in preservative. The throat, chest, venter, ventral surface of forelimbs, and thighs are brownish cream, palms and ventral surfaces of shanks Light Buff (2), and ventral surface of tarsus with Dark Brownish Olive (127) pigmentation.</p><p>Variation.</p><p>(Figs 4, 5) Variation of the type series measurements is presented in Table 3. Coloration in life: head, dorsum, flanks and dorsal surface of limbs varies from Light Orange Yellow (77), Light Chrome Orange (76), Lime Green (105) to Cinnamon (21) tones; head with or without Tawny (69) or Lime Green (105) dark brown interorbital stripe, lips bars and supratympanic stripe; flanks with Dark Brownish Olive (127) diagonal stripes, groin coloration is pale Scarlet with Brownish Olive (127) or Dusky Brown (285).</p><p>Dorsal coloration in preserved specimens is Pale Buff (1), Light Buff (1), and Cinnamon Drab (50) with or without Dark Drab (45) marks like interorbital bar, V-shaped scapular mark, one chevron in the middle of dorsum, and brown or diffuse brown diagonal stripes on the flanks. Ventral coloration in females is usually uniform Pale Buff (1), and in males is variable with Dark Draff (45) coloration on the throat and Burnt Umber (48) mottling or reticulations.</p><p>Dorsal skin texture varies between sexes in Pristimantis fergusoni sp. nov. Males usually have a more tuberculate dorsum than females, with a distinct interorbital fold and a conical tubercle between the tip of the snout and the interorbital fold. Additional conical tubercles are present behind the eyelids and on the scapular region, sometimes forming a V-shaped scapular fold. In contrast, females have a shagreen dorsum with scattered, less pronounced tubercles.</p><p>Distribution and natural history observations.</p><p>Pristimantis fergusoni sp. nov. is known only from two localities within less than 10 km between Cerro Candelaria and Chamana Reserves at elevations of 2972 and 3210 meters, southern to the Pastaza River, in the east-central Andes of Ecuador (Fig. 8). The type locality is located in the Llanganates Sangay Connectivity Corridor, Tungurahua province. The general habitat of the new species is Andean Forest and herbaceous paramo; all individuals were collected during the night, most of them while sitting on leaves of bushes and herbs from 30–140 cm above the ground, mainly in Poaceae ( Neurolepis aristata, Cortadeira) and less in ferns. At Cerro Candelaria the new species was found sympatrically with Pristimantis puruscafeum Reyes-Puig et al., 2015, P. donnelsoni, and a undescribed Pristimantis related to the devillei species group (Reyes-Puig et al. 2022).</p><p>Conservation status.</p><p>To assess the current extinction risk of this new species we used the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria (Gardenfors et al. 2001). Pristimantis fergusoni sp. nov. is known from two localities: Cerro Candelaria and Chamana within the cloud forest in the mountains south of Pastaza trench. All known localities are within protected private areas; however, it is likely that other populations may be distributed outside these limits, where land use change is one of the main threats (Gaglio et al. 2017; Jaramillo Coronel et al. 2025). However, until new information is available, we suggest P. fergusoni sp. nov. should be categorized as Data Deficient DD with an estimated extent of occurrence &lt;5000 km 2.</p><p>Etymology.</p><p>The new species is named in honor of Robert T. Ferguson II, an amateur naturalist and conservationist passionate about herpetofauna worldwide. A citizen scientist, Ferguson helped multiple herp atlas projects in the United States and the conservation and land acquisition in biodiversity hotspots across Latin America. He worked to raise awareness and support for conservation through photography and outreach with Rainforest Trust, Ecominga, and other organizations. This species’ legacy is meant to serve as a reminder that everyone can do something for the betterment of our planet.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6137E4E9B56D591AA8DAF27E0C3F94E0	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Reyes-Puig, Juan Pablo;Yánez-Muñoz, Mario H.;Ron, Santiago R.;Venegas, Pablo J.;Ortega, Jhael;Carrión-Olmedo, Julio C.;Reyes-Puig, Carolina	Reyes-Puig, Juan Pablo, Yánez-Muñoz, Mario H., Ron, Santiago R., Venegas, Pablo J., Ortega, Jhael, Carrión-Olmedo, Julio C., Reyes-Puig, Carolina (2026): A new spiny frog of the genus Pristimantis (Anura, Strabomantidae) from the eastern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes. ZooKeys 1269: 83-105, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1269.162260
