Jaime hoped to see this particular species of harlequin toad while working with a conservation group. The couple he found was in amplexus – a mating behaviour in which a male fertilises eggs as they are released from a female’s body – and may have remained so for weeks. To capture the toads’ rich colours and patterns, Jaime carefully positioned flashes around the branch.
The species pictured may be surviving, but, like many amphibians, it is vulnerable to a fungal disease that invades the surface layers of its skin. This fungus has contributed to most species of harlequin toad becoming endangered or extinct. Encouragingly, monitoring and land protection are now improving this toad’s chance of survival.
Spain
Jaime has a bachelor’s in biology, an MSc in environmental education and an MSc in biodiversity and conservation of tropical areas. He’s been living in Ecuador for more than nine years, where he works as a reptile and amphibian researcher and nature photographer. Jaime has won numerous photography and conservation awards.
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