Rio Pescado Stubfoot Toad

A small bufonid toad typically measuring 0.75–1.25 inches (1.9–3.2 cm) in length. Body is compact and squat with relatively short legs adapted for walking rather than jumping. Dorsal coloration is bright yellow to golden-yellow with irregular black or dark brown blotches, reticulations, and spotting creating a striking aposematic pattern. The head is broad and flattened. Skin texture is bumpy and warty, with numerous small tubercles across the dorsum. A key diagnostic feature is the presence of webbed toes with expanded discs on the feet, distinguishing this genus from typical Bufo. The tympanum is small and indistinct. Ventral surface is cream to pale yellow, sometimes with faint dark mottling. Eyes are small and dark. Inhabits montane cloud forests and streamside vegetation at high elevations in southwestern Ecuador, typically in moist microhabitats among leaf litter, moss, and vegetation near mountain streams. Diet consists of small arthropods, particularly ants and mites, gleaned from the forest floor and vegetation.

Call is a soft, high-pitched chirping or trilling sound, somewhat metallic in quality. Calls are typically given singly or in short series, often produced during daylight hours or in humid conditions, unusual among bufonids.