A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura. The oldest fossil "proto-frog" appeared in the early Triassic of Madagascar, but molecular clock dating suggests their origins may extend further back to the Permian, 265 million years ago. Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to subarctic regions, but the greatest concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforest. There are about 7,300 recorded species, which account for around 88% of extant amphibian species. They are also one of the five most diverse vertebrate orders. Warty frog species tend to be called toads, but the distinction between frogs and toads is informal, not from taxonomy or evolutionary history.
Poison dart frog is the common name of a group of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central and South America. These species are diurnal and often have brightly colored bodies. This bright coloration is correlated with the toxicity of the species, making them aposematic. Some species of the family Dendrobatidae exhibit extremely bright coloration along with high toxicity, while others have cryptic coloration with minimal to no amount of observed toxicity. The species that have great toxicity derive this from their diet of ants, mites and termites. Other species however, that exhibit cryptic coloration and low to no amounts of toxicity, eat a much larger variety of prey. Many species of this family are threatened due to human infrastructure encroaching on their habitats.
Batrachotoxin (BTX) is an extremely potent cardio- and neurotoxic steroidal alkaloid found in certain species of beetles, birds, and frogs. The name is from the Greek word βάτραχος, bátrachos, 'frog'. Structurally-related chemical compounds are often referred to collectively as batrachotoxins. It is an extremely poisonous alkaloid. In certain frogs this alkaloid is present mostly on the skin. Such frogs are among those used for poisoning darts. Batrachotoxin binds to and irreversibly opens the sodium channels of nerve cells and prevents them from closing, resulting in paralysis. No antidote is known.
Allobates is a genus of frogs in the family Aromobatidae. They are native to the Central and South Americas, from Nicaragua to Bolivia and Brazil, with one species on Martinique.
Aromobates, sometimes known as the skunk frogs, is a genus of frogs from the Andes of Venezuela and Colombia. Originally a monotypic genus consisting of the skunk frog, Aromobates nocturnus alone, it was later expanded to include Nephelobates. These frogs are difficult to differentiate from Allobates without using molecular markers.
The Aromobatidae are a family of frogs native to Central and South America. They are sometimes referred to as cryptic forest frogs or cryptic poison frogs. They are the sister taxon of the Dendrobatidae, the poison dart frogs, but are not as toxic as most dendrobatids are.
Allobates femoralis is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname. Its natural habitat is tropical lowland forests.
Allobates bromelicola is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to the Venezuelan Coastal Range in the Aragua state. Its natural habitat is cloud forest, where it breeds inside bromeliads.
Allobates chalcopis, also known as the Martinique volcano frog or ravine rocket frog, is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to Mount Pelée, Martinique.
Allobates fuscellus is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is found in the Amazon Basin in western Brazil and northeastern Peru, and it is expected to occur in adjacent Colombia and possibly northern Bolivia. Its natural habitats are tropical lowland primary and secondary rainforest. Eggs are laid on land, and the tadpoles are then carried by the parents to streams. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Allobates humilis is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to western Venezuela where it is known from the Trujillo and Táchira states. Its natural habitats are seasonal montane forest and cloud forest. This locally common frog is associated with temporary ponds. It is threatened by habitat loss; the lagoon at the type locality has already disappeared.
Allobates juanii is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to Colombia where it is only known from its type locality, a botanical garden in the city of Villavicencio, on the lower slopes of the eastern side of the Cordillera Oriental.
Allobates mandelorum is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to the Cerro Turumiquire area in eastern Venezuela. Its natural habitats are cloud forest and subpáramo shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Allobates marchesianus is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is found in the Amazon Basin in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. However, this species might represent a cryptic species complex, where at least the populations from Venezuela belong to an undescribed species. Its natural habitats are secondary and old-growth tropical rainforests, where it lives on the forest floor. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Allobates sanmartini is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, rivers, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Allobates talamancae is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is found in northwestern Ecuador, western Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and southern Nicaragua.
Allobates trilineatus is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is found in northern Bolivia and Peru east of the Cordillera Oriental and in western Brazil (Acre), possibly extending into Colombia. It has been confused with Allobates marchesianus. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. Adults are diurnal and live in leaf-litter. Eggs are laid on the forest floor, and the male carries the tadpoles to streams.
Allobates undulatus is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to Venezuela where it is only know from its type locality, Cerro Yutajé, in the Amazonas state. The specific name undulatus refers to the characteristic wavy-edged dorsal marking of this species.
Allobates myersi is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae found in Amazonian Colombia, likely also in adjacent Brazil and northeastern Peru. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is terrestrial and diurnal, and lays its eggs in the leaf-litter. In the southern part of its range, it is threatened by habitat loss.
