Gastrotheca christiani Laurent 1967

Diagnosis A medium size marsupial frog, with an acutely rounded snout, supratympanic fold shelf-like and granular; subarticular, tubercles and supernumerary tubercles well-developed on hands and feet, terminal disks of digital broad, roundly truncate, and dorsal skin scattered with ovoid longitudinal tubercles.

This species occurs on the slopes of the Andes in Jujuy Province, Argentina, at mid elevations from 1,550-2,600m asl.

Adult morphology Snout-vent of about 35 mm in males, 40 mm in females. Head wider than long, lacking co-ossification and faintly exostosed with rounded snout, in dorsal and lateral profile. Nostrils swelling, laterally localted; their interval being slightly narrower than the interocular distance and equal to the width of the upper eyelid. Canthus rostralis round; loreal region concave. Vomerine teeth in two rounded groups between and behind the choanae. Tongue free, slightly notched groups between and behind the choanae. Tongue free, slightly notched posteriorly. Eyes antero-laterally located, their diameter being shorter than the length of the snout. Tympanum small, distinct, about 1/3 to 2/5 of the eye diameter. Supratyumpanic fold evident, granular. Fingers and toes basally webbed, rather slender. Rate of the finger lengths: I-II-IV-III. Subarticular and supernumerary tubercles on the hand large and round; metacarpal tubercles elongate, not prominent. Subarticular tubercles on foot suconical; inner metatarsal tubercle, elongate, blunt; the outer very small conical. Terminal disks of digits broad and truncate. Tarsal fold indistinguishable. When hindleg is adpressed heel reaches between tympanum and eye. When the femurs are bent at right angles to body, the tibio-tarsal articulations hardly touch. Dorsal skin scattered with ovoid longitudinal tubercles; ventrally heavily granular. Coloration: Brown or grayish above, scattered with large darker blotches and showing a peculiar T-shaped interocular spot. A lateral dark band from the tip of snout to groin. Whitish or creamish on the belly, speckled with small brownish dots, mostly on the throad and chest.

EN. Endangered.