Description
Centrolene charapita is a relatively large species of glass frog, with a snout-to-vent length ranging from 34.7 - 37.0 mm. The snout appears shortened when viewed from the back and sides. The area between its eye and nostril is round, as are the nostrils. The area between the nostrils is concave. The tympana are covered by a layer of skin, and are not visible. The forearms are stout and flattened. The relative lengths of its fingers are as follows, from shortest to longest: I ~ II < IV < III. It has broad, round finger discs which are barely larger than the toe discs. There is no webbing between fingers I – II, and only rudimentary webbing between fingers II – III, though there is webbing between fingers III – IV. It has round subarticular tubercles, no supernumerary tubercles, an elongated palmar tubercle, and an oval shaped thenar tubercle. It has nuptial pads near the middle of finger I, and hardened glands on the webbing and the fingertips. Its legs are slim, with round toe discs. The cloaca is somewhat covered by an external skin fold, and is surrounded by four enlarged warts (Twomey et al. 2014).

This species can be diagnosed by having scalloped enameled ulnar and tarsal folds. It can be distinguished from other glass frogs that also bear these folds by its large size (> 34.0 mm). It also has a truncated snout in profile, whereas other glass frogs with ulnar and tarsal folds have sloping snouts in profile. The exception, C. geckoideum, is twice as large as C. charapita. No similar species of glass frogs have both the ocelli pattern on the dorsum and the enameled warts on interdigital webbings and fringes (Twomey et al. 2014).

In life, dorsal and dorsolateral surfaces have a base color composed of a dark green reticulum embedded with yellow or pale green ocelli. The reticulum is darker around these ocelli. There is white coloration present on the upper lip and the discs of fingers and toes I, II, and III. There is no pigmentation present on the ventral surface, flanks, upper arms, and fingers and toes I and II. Parts of the peritoneum are visible through the non-pigmented ventral surface, this tissue is transparent in its posterior two thirds and white in its anterior third. The visceral peritoneum is white and the hepatic peritoneum is transparent. All toe discs are white except for those of toes IV and V, which are the same color as the dorsum. The iris is composed of a ground color of off white to light grey with a reticulation of yellow shades and black dots (Twomey et al. 2014).

In preservative, the ground color is a lavender grey reticulum embedded with cream ocelli. The reticulum is darker around the ocelli. All other coloration is similar to the frog in life except that the iris reticulum lacks the yellow shades, finger and toe III have some pigmentation at the tip, and finger IV and toes IV and V share the same coloration as the back. Additional peritonea are visible through dissection of a preserved specimen and reveal transparent pericardial, renal, and gonadal viscera (Twomey et al. 2014).

This species is only known from two individuals of the same population, so characteristics may vary as more individuals are found. This could also include molecular analyses that could influence its close phylogenetic position to C. geckoideum (Twomey et al. 2014).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Ecuador, Peru

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

This species is known from one location in Peru on a large secondary stream east of the Maranon River, near La Oliva, Amazonas, on the lower slopes of the Andes mountains (682 m asl). In Ecuador, they are known from Reserva Natural Maycu, Provincia Zamora-Chinchipe. They are known to occupy undisturbed forests (Twomey et al. 2014) but their distribution is not well documented.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
These frogs call from vegetation overhanging (approximately 2 m – 5 m) over the water of streams (Twomey et al. 2014).

Trends and Threats
Currently unavailable.

Comments
The species authority is: Twomey, E., Delia, J., Castroviejo-Fisher, S. 2014. A review of northern Peruvian glassfrogs (Centrolenidae), with the description of four new remarkable species. Zootaxa 3851: 1-87.

The glass frog C. geckoideum is a sister species to C. charapita (Twomey et al. 2014).

The specific epithet charapita comes from the yellow ocelli that color the backside of this species – they resemble the charapita pepper that is found in the local Amazonian lowlands (Twomey et al. 2014).

References

Twomey, E., Delia, J., Castroviejo-Fisher, S. (2014). ''A review of northern Peruvian glassfrogs (Centrolenidae), with the description of four new remarkable species.'' Zootaxa, 3851, 1-87.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2018 Centrolene charapita: Charapita Glassfrog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/8212> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Feb 5, 2025.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2025. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 5 Feb 2025.

AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use.