Splashback poison frog | |
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Yellow-backed variant (above, captive) and yellow-and-black netted variant (below, from Cristalino State Park) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Family: | Dendrobatidae |
Genus: | Adelphobates |
Species: | A. galactonotus |
Binomial name | |
Adelphobates galactonotus (Steindachner, 1864) | |
Distribution of the splash-backed poison frog | |
Synonyms | |
Dendrobates galactonotusSteindachner, 1864 Contents |
Adelphobates galactonotus (splash-backed poison frog or splashback poison frog) is a species of poison dart frog. It is endemic to the rainforest of the southern Amazon Basin in Brazil. [3] [4] [1]
The frog's natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests, where it has been observed as high as 600 meters above sea level. It seems to prefer forest habitats with large numbers of Brazil nut trees. The eggs are laid on the ground. After the eggs hatch, the adult frogs carry the tadpoles to water. Scientists believe this may include water collected in Brazil nut husks. [1]
The frog's known range includes many protected areas. [1]
The IUCN classifies this frog as least concern of extinction and notes that it has shown some tolerance to habitat disturbance. Though it remains widespread and locally common, it is threatened by habitat loss [1] and has already disappeared from some localities due to deforestation and flooding caused by hydroelectric dams. [5] The species is relatively common in captivity and regularly bred, but the wild populations are still at risk from illegal collection. [5]
This relatively large poison dart frog has a snout-vent length of up to 42 mm (1.7 in). [5]
The best known variants of this species are black below and yellow, orange or red above, but its color is extremely variable with some having whitish-mint or light blue upperparts, some having a mottled or spotted pattern above, and some being almost all whitish (popularly known as "moonshine" among captive frog keepers), yellow-orange or black. [5] It has been speculated that some morphs were separate species, but genetic testing have revealed virtually no difference between them (including a distinctive variant from Cristalino State Park with a yellow-and-black netted pattern) and the distributions of the morphs do not follow a clear geographic pattern as expected if they were separate species. [5]
Scientists have cited this frog as an example while examining the causes of bright colors in poisonous frogs. One longstanding interpretation is that the bright colors are aposematic, warning predators that the frog will poison them if they attempt to eat it. However, studies of this species noted that the two color morphs, though visually very different, have largely the same poison profile. These scientists believe that the coloration may have more to do with conspecific recognition and sexual selection than with deterring predators. [4]
The blue poison dart frog or blue poison arrow frog is a poison dart frog found in the "forest islands" surrounded by the Sipaliwini Savanna in southern Suriname. Its indigenous Tiriyo name is okopipi. The name "azureus" comes from its azure blue color. While first described as a valid species and usually recognized as such in the past, recent authorities generally treat it as a morph of D. tinctorius, although a few treat it as a subspecies of D. tinctorius or continue to treat it as its own species. To what extent it differs from the blue D. tinctorius in southern Guyana, adjacent Pará (Brazil) and possibly far southwestern Suriname, is also a matter of dispute, and many herpetologists, as well as many people keeping poison dart frogs in captivity, have not distinguished these, with all commonly being identified as "azureus".
The strawberry poison frog, strawberry poison-dart frog or blue jeans poison frog is a species of small poison dart frog found in Central America. It is common throughout its range, which extends from eastern central Nicaragua through Costa Rica and northwestern Panamá. The species is often found in humid lowlands and premontane forest, but large populations are also found in disturbed areas such as plantations. The strawberry poison frog is perhaps most famous for its widespread variation in coloration, comprising approximately 15–30 color morphs, most of which are presumed to be true-breeding. O. pumilio, while not the most poisonous of the dendrobatids, is the most toxic member of its genus.
The dyeing poison dart frog, also known as the cobalt poison frog, tinc, is a species of poison dart frog. It is among the most variably colored and largest species of poison dart frogs, typically reaching snout–vent lengths of about 50 mm (2.0 in). It is distributed in the eastern portion of the Guiana Shield, including parts of French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil.These types of frogs usually like to stay in the ground as it is easier to catch prey. They tend to also stay in bodies of water like rivers or climb trees. Because of this they mostly inhabit near the Amazon Rainforest. To mate they have special rituals and leave their tadpoles in freshwater.
The green-and-black poison dart frog, also known as the green-and-black poison arrow frog and green poison frog, is a brightly-colored member of the order Anura native to southern Central America and Colombia. This species has also been introduced to Oahu, Hawaii in an effort to lower mosquito numbers. It is one of the most variably colored species of poison dart frogs, after D. tinctorius, Adelphobates galactonotus and some Oophaga species. From a conservation standpoint, it is considered to be of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Within the reptile and amphibian hobby, D. auratus remains one of the most commonly kept, and easiest-to-breed, dart frogs in captivity, as well as in zoos.
The yellow-banded poison dart frog, also known as yellow-headed poison dart frog or bumblebee poison frog, is a poison dart frog from the genus Dendrobates of the family Dendrobatidae.
The golden poison frog, also known as the golden dart frog or golden poison arrow frog, is a poison dart frog endemic from the rainforests of Colombia. The golden poison frog has become endangered due to habitat destruction within its naturally limited range. Despite its small size, this frog is considered to be the most poisonous extant animal species on the planet.
Phyllobates bicolor, or more commonly referred to as the black-legged poison dart frog, is the world's second-most toxic dart frog. Under the genus Phyllobates, this organism is often mistaken as Phyllobates terribilis, the golden poison frog, as both are morphologically similar. However, Phyllobatesbicolor is identifiable by the yellow or orange body and black or dark blue forelimbs and hindlegs, hence the name black-legged dart frog. Phyllobates bicolor are commonly found in tropical forests of the Chocó region of Colombia. The diurnal frogs live along the rainforest ground near streams or puddles that form. Notably, P. bicolor is a member of the family Dendrobatidae, or poison dart frog. P. bicolor, along with the rest of the Phyllobates species, produce a neurotoxin known as a batrachotoxin that inhibits specific transmembrane channels in cells. Due to this highly deadly toxin that the frogs secrete, many indigenous groups of the Colombian rainforest have extracted the toxins to create poison tipped darts used for hunting. During the breeding period, P. bicolor emits high pitched single notes as a mating call. As in all poison dart frogs, it is common for the father of tadpoles to carry the offspring on his back until they reach a suitable location for the tadpoles to develop. P. bicolor is an endangered species according to the IUCN red list. Currently, deforestation, habitat loss, and pollution pose the biggest threat to the species. Limited conservation efforts have been attempted to prevent further damage to the species. Despite this, there are still institutions such as the Baltimore National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland and the Tatamá National Natural Park in Colombia that are engaged in P. bicolor conservation efforts such as captive breeding.
The sky-blue poison frog is a species of poison dart frog. It is endemic to Peru and known from the lower eastern versant of the Andes in the upper Amazon basin of the San Martín Region.
Ranitomeya imitator, is a species of poison dart frog found in the north-central region of eastern Peru. Its common names include mimic poison frog and poison arrow frog, and it is one of the best known dart frogs. It was discovered in the late 1980s by Rainer Schulte who later split it up into more subspecies; describing each as a specific color morph, and sometimes having a separate behavioral pattern. The acoustics, morphs, and behavior of the species have been extensively researched.
The Brazil-nut poison frog is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to the state of Pará in Brazil. The frog is believed to have received its common name from the fact that its tadpoles sometimes develop in the hard capsules of the Brazil nut tree, which are common in its range. The nuts fall to the forest floor where they are broken open by agoutis and other animals seeking the seeds, and empty husks fill with water.
Lehmann's poison frog or the red-banded poison frog is a species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae endemic to a small part of western Colombia. Its natural habitats are submontane tropical rainforests. It is threatened by habitat loss and collection for the pet trade, and the IUCN lists it as being "critically endangered". It was named after Colombian conservation biologist Federico Carlos Lehmann.
Ameerega bilinguis, the Ecuador poison frog, is a species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae found in Colombia, Ecuador, and possibly Peru.
Silverstone's poison frog is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae endemic to Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers.
The Golfodulcean poison frog or Golfodulcean poison-arrow frog is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae endemic to Costa Rica.
Mantella baroni is a species of small poisonous frog in the family Mantellidae.
Pseudophilautus decoris, commonly known as the elegant shrub frog, is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
The Amazonian poison frog, known in French as dendrobate à ventre tacheté, is a species of poison dart frog. It is native to South America, where it can be found in Brazil, southeastern Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, and Peru.
The red-backed poison frog is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is an arboreal insectivorous species, and is the second-most poisonous species in the genus, after R. variabilis. Like many species of small, poisonous frogs native to South America, it is grouped with the poison dart frogs, and is a moderately toxic species, containing poison capable of causing serious injury to humans, and death in animals such as chickens. R. reticulata is native to the Amazon rainforest in Peru and Ecuador.
Ranitomeya variabilis, formerly known as Dendrodates variabilis, is a species of small poison dart frog distributed in northern Peru, along the eastern slope of Andes in the upper Rio Huallaga drainage basin. Its common name, Zimmerman's poison frog, is named after Elke Zimmermann, a German zoologist who described the morph of this species and differentiated it from D. ventrimaculatus. The species was formerly considered to be synonymous with Ranitomeya ventrimaculata.
Ranitomeya sirensis or the Sira poison frog is a species of poison dart frog found in the Amazonian rainforests of northern Bolivia, westernmost Brazil (Acre), and eastern Peru.
Data related to Adelphobates galactonotus at Wikispecies
Media related to Adelphobates galactonotus at Wikimedia Commons