Canelos Treefrog

Diagnosis. In this section coloration pertains to preserved specimens unless otherwise noted. A large-sized Tepuihyla differing from other known species in the genus by the following combination of characters: (1) SVL in males 79.3 - 86.2 mm (n = 5), SVL in females 67.6 - 85.7 mm (n = 2); (2) skin on dorsum coarsely tuberculate, covered by small tubercles with scattered large tubercles; tubercles without keratinized tips; (3) skin on flanks covered by large tubercles; (4) webbing between fingers extensive but without reaching the proximal border of the disks, hand webbing formula I 2 - 2 II 1 - 2 III 11 / 2 - 1 IV to I 2 - 2 + II 1 - 2 III 2 - 1 IV (Fig. 7 A); webbing between toes extensive and reaching the proximal border of the disks on at least three toes, foot webbing formula I 0 + - 1 + II 0 + - 1 III 0 + - 1 + IV 1 + - 0 + V to I 1 + - 11 / 2 II 1 - 1 + III 1 + - 11 / 2 IV 11 / 2 - 0 + V (Fig. 7 B); (5) dorsal coloration in life greenish cream or brownish cream with scattered dark brown reticulations, anterior and posterior surfaces of thighs and hidden surfaces of shanks yellowish orange; (6) ventral coloration whitish cream and webbing between fingers and toes pale orange; (7) suborbital mark absent, clear labial stripe present, faint and with some brown spots; (8) coloration on flanks similar to dorsal coloration except for greenish yellow axilla and groins and whitish gray ventrolateral area; (9) skin on upper surface of head not co-ossified with underlying cranial elements, cranial crest slightly exostosed; (10) in life, bones green; (11) small triangular dermal flaps form serrate fringe along the ventrolateral margin of the forearm and along the outer edge of Finger IV; heels bearing two or three enlarged fleshy conical tubercles surrounded by few smaller round tubercles; small triangular dermal flaps form serrate fringe along ventrolateral margin of tarsus and outer margin of Toe V; (12) adults, in life, have cream iris with a coppery hue and scattered thin black reticulations; (13) vocal sac is white, single and subgular, (14) a juvenile is similar to adults in coloration but with dorsal background coloration brownish cream and a black medial stripe in the iris; (15) larvae unknown. Tepuihyla tuberculosa differs from all congeneric species (in parenthesis), except Tepuihyla shushupe sp. n., in having a larger size: SVL in males 79.3 - 86.2 mm (n = 5), SVL in females 67.6 - 85.7 mm (n = 2) (maximum SVL 59.2 mm in other Tepuihyla), having extensive webbing in the hands (basal webbing) and a serrate fringe along the ventrolateral margin of the forearm (absent). Other differences are listed on Table 4. Tepuihyla tuberculosa is most similar to Tepuihyla shushupe sp. n. It differs from Tepuihyla shushupe sp. n. (character states in parenthesis) in having cream iris in life (iris cream with reddish periphery), dorsum covered with small tubercles intermixed with few large tubercles (dorsum covered with small tubercles intermixed with abundant large tubercles; Figs 3 - 5); in preservative, its dorsum is light cream or cream with a coppery hue and brownish cream to creamy coppery large tubercles (dorsum light brown with large brownish cream or creamy coppery tubercles with a dark brown posterior border). Tepuihyla tuberculosa also resembles the Amazonian Trachycephalus cunauaru and Trachycephalus resinifictrix but differs from both species in having serrate fringes on the limbs and tubercles on the lower jaw (both absent in Trachycephalus; Fig. 8). Tepuihyla tuberculosa is easily distinguished from all other large Amazonian treefrogs in having fully webbed hands and feet, coarsely tubercular skin on dorsum, and serrate dermal fringes on the outer margin of the forearm and foot. Cruziohyla craspedopus and Dendropsophus marmoratus also have dermal fringes on the outer margin of the foot, but the former is distinguished by its deep green dorsum, vertically elliptical pupils in a bicolored iris (pale silver with yellow borders), smooth skin on dorsum and elongate calcar on the heel. The smaller Dendropsophus marmoratus exhibits a bright yellow belly with black spots or mottling (uniform yellowish-tan in Tepuihyla tuberculosa).