Meet Starry Night Harlequin Toad (Atelopus arsyecue), a rare and visually striking amphibian native to Colombia.
Its black, bumpy skin with vivid electric blue speckles and contrasting bright orange underbelly acts as a warning to predators—an example of aposematic coloration, which signals toxicity.
These toads are critically endangered, largely due to habitat loss and chytrid fungus, a deadly pathogen that has severely impacted amphibian populations globally.
For years, A. arsyecue was thought to be extinct until rediscovered by the Arhuaco people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
The species is highly valued both for its ecological role and cultural significance among Indigenous communities, who consider it sacred.
Conservation efforts are ongoing, involving collaborations between scientists and Indigenous groups to preserve the toad’s fragile mountain habitat.
Its black, bumpy skin with vivid electric blue speckles and contrasting bright orange underbelly acts as a warning to predators—an example of aposematic coloration, which signals toxicity.
These toads are critically endangered, largely due to habitat loss and chytrid fungus, a deadly pathogen that has severely impacted amphibian populations globally.
For years, A. arsyecue was thought to be extinct until rediscovered by the Arhuaco people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
The species is highly valued both for its ecological role and cultural significance among Indigenous communities, who consider it sacred.
Conservation efforts are ongoing, involving collaborations between scientists and Indigenous groups to preserve the toad’s fragile mountain habitat.
Meet Starry Night Harlequin Toad (Atelopus arsyecue), a rare and visually striking amphibian native to Colombia.
Its black, bumpy skin with vivid electric blue speckles and contrasting bright orange underbelly acts as a warning to predators—an example of aposematic coloration, which signals toxicity.
These toads are critically endangered, largely due to habitat loss and chytrid fungus, a deadly pathogen that has severely impacted amphibian populations globally.
For years, A. arsyecue was thought to be extinct until rediscovered by the Arhuaco people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
The species is highly valued both for its ecological role and cultural significance among Indigenous communities, who consider it sacred.
Conservation efforts are ongoing, involving collaborations between scientists and Indigenous groups to preserve the toad’s fragile mountain habitat.
