Pristimantis esmeraldas (Guayasamin 2004)

Pristimantis esmeraldas is a recently described species from Ecuador. Two main characters set it apart from its congeners: (1) the presence of a brown dorsum with a dark brown W-shaped scapular mark and, (2) expanded and spadate disc covers on some fingers (usually III and IV) and most toes (usually III-V). Other characters are that the skin is finely shagreen, flanks shagreen with larger tubercles with a finely areolate venter; tympanic annulus present but tympanic membrane not evident; snout rounded in dorsal and lateral view; upper eyelid narrower than interorbital space with low tubercles; cranial crests absent. Head is longer than it is wide. Snout is long with a snout-to-eye distance 20% SVL. Flanks are brown with whitish gray flecks denoting tip of tubercles, venter brown with numerous cream flecks, and a groin that is brown with one white spot.

Only known from the vicinity of Estero Vicente, a tributary of the Río San Miguel in the Comunidad San Miguel, Parroquia Telembí, Cantón Eloy Alfaro, Provincia de Esmeraldas in Ecuador. This species is found in evergreen lowland forest (Bosque Siempreverde de Tierras Bajas).

Two of the six females studied by Guayasamin (2004) had mature eggs wich unpigmented membranes. One female had 10 eggs and the other 7.

Pristimantis esmeraldas is a species of frog in the family Strabomantidae. It is found in north-eastern Ecuador in Esmeraldas and Manabí Provinces and in Valle del Cauca Department in Colombia.