Pristimantis mariaelenae Venegas & Duellman 2012

Pristimantis mariaelenae is a robust bodied frog with a snout-vent-length ranging from 16-19.4 mm for males, and 23.7-27.8 mm for females. The head is narrow and wider than it is long, though it is not as wide as the body. The snout is short and round at both lateral and dorsal views. Both tympanic annulus and tympanic membrane are present and distinct. A large, thick fold over the tympanum partially obscures its edges on the posteroventral and posterodorsal sides. The tympanic membrane diameter is 58% that of the eye diameter. Upper eyelid is covered in nodules. The dorsum is shagreen with small tubercles throughout, the highest density being on the posterior end. The skin on the flanks and the cloacal region are also covered in tubercles. In contrast, the skin on the chest, belly, throat and ventral surfaces of the thighs are far smoother. The dorsolateral folds are weak, becoming discontinuous posteriorly, and the discoidal folds are indistinct. The hind limbs are slender with the upper surfaces of the hind legs being covered in tubercles. The heel has one low tubercle and the outer surfaces of the tarsus have low tubercles. A short, inner-tarsal ridge is present. The inner metatarsal is defined, prominent, elliptical, round in ventral view and subconical in lateral view, and three times larger than those in the low tubercles. The toes lack lateral fringes and webbing. The discs on the toes are nearly as large as those on the fingers. They are round and weakly truncated with the disc on the toe IV being the most prominent. The relative toe lengths are: 1

P. mariaelenae has been found only at the type locality in northwestern Peru, in humid high-elevation montane puna grassland above tree line at 3596 m above sea level. The area on the eastern side of the Cordillera Occidental is dominated by bunch grass (Stipa) and scattered with small bushes (Baccharis sp.) and elfin forest patches. All specimens were found under rocks close to a small stream by day or at the base of bunch grass (Venegas and Duellman 2012).

The main threat to strabomantid frogs, according to Duellman and Lehr, is habitat destruction, particularly through agriculture, environmental contamination and deforestation (as cited in Venegas and Duellman 2012). This species inhabits puna habitat, grasslands that are slow to recover, which are especially sensitive to overgrazing by cattle.