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.
Chytridiomycosis(chy·trid·i·o·my·co·sis | \ kī-ˌtri-dē-ō-mī-ˈkō-səs) is an infectious disease in amphibians, caused by the chytrid fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, a non-hyphal zoosporic fungus. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or extinctions of amphibian species in western North America, Central America, South America, eastern Australia, East Africa (Tanzania), and Dominica and Montserrat in the Caribbean. Much of the New World is also at risk of the disease arriving within the coming years. The fungus is capable of causing sporadic deaths in some amphibian populations and 100% mortality in others. No effective measure is known for control of the disease in wild populations. Various clinical signs are seen by individuals affected by the disease. A number of options are possible for controlling this disease-causing fungus, though none has proved to be feasible on a large scale. The disease has been proposed as a contributing factor to a global decline in amphibian populations that apparently has affected about 30% of the amphibian species of the world. Some research found evidence insufficient for linking chytrid fungi and chytridiomycosis to global amphibian declines, but more recent research establishes a connection and attributes the spread of the disease to its transmission through international trade routes into native ecosystems.
Colostethus is a genus of poison dart frogs native to Central and South America, from Panama south to Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru. Their common name is rocket frogs, but this name may refer to frogs in other genera and families, following the taxonomic revision of the genus in 2006.
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, also known as Bd or the amphibian chytrid fungus, is a fungus that causes the disease chytridiomycosis in amphibians.
The Panamanian golden frog, also known as Cerro Campana stubfoot toad and other names, is a species of toad endemic to Panama. Panamanian golden frogs inhabit the streams along the mountainous slopes of the Cordilleran cloud forests of west-central Panama. While the IUCN lists it as critically endangered, it may in fact have been extinct in the wild since 2007. Individuals have been collected for breeding in captivity in a bid to preserve the species. The alternative common name, Zetek's golden frog, and the epithet zeteki both commemorate the entomologist James Zetek.
Atelopus varius, the Costa Rican variable harlequin toad or clown frog, is a small Neotropical true toad from the family Bufonidae. Once ranging from Costa Rica to Panama, A. varius is now listed as critically endangered and has been reduced to a single remnant population near Quepos, Costa Rica and has only relict populations in western Panama (IUCN). Recent variation in air temperature, precipitation, stream flow patterns, and the subsequent spread of a pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) linked to global climate change have been the leading cause of decline for A. varius. A. zeteki has been considered a subspecies of A. varius, but is now generally considered a separate species.
Centrolene prosoblepon is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae, commonly known as the emerald glass frog or Nicaragua giant glass frog. This species can be found in Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Its natural habitats are lowland tropical forests and montane cloud forests. It is a nocturnal species occurring in low vegetation in mature forests only. It is not considered threatened overall by the IUCN although deforestation and pollution are potential threats, as is chytridiomycosis.
Leucostethus brachistriatus is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Colombia and occurs on the western slopes of Cordillera Central and on Cordillera Occidental. Common name stripe-throated rocket frog has been proposed for it.
Hyloxalus cevallosi, also known as Palanda rocket frog, is a species of poison dart frogs in the family Dendrobatidae. It is named after Gabriel Cevallos García, a famous Ecuadorean writer. This species of frog exists on the east side of the Andes in Ecuador near the Pastaza Province as well as the Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Though it has been recorded in Peru, the records have yet to be confirmed. Its natural habitats are very humid premontane and pluvial premontane forests.
Hyloxalus edwardsi is a species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to the Cordillera Oriental in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. It is named after Stephen R. Edwards from the University of Kansas Natural History Museum, a colleague of John D. Lynch who described this species in 1982.
Leucostethus fraterdanieli is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to the Andes in Colombia. Colostethus yaguara might be its junior synonym. It lives on the ground close to streams in cloud forests and in dry tropical forests. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by agriculture and logging.
Colostethus inguinalis is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to northwestern and northcentral Colombia. Its vernacular name is common rocket frog, although this name can also refer to Colostethus panamansis that until 2004 was considered a junior synonym of Colostethus inguinalis. Much of the older literature on Colostethus inguinalis is actually about Colostethus panamansis.
Colostethus latinasus is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is known from Cerro Pirre in Darién Province, Panama, from Chocó Department in adjacent Colombia, and from Tierralta, Córdoba Department, Colombia.
Silverstoneia nubicola is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is found in western Colombia, Panama, and southwestern Costa Rica.
Rheobates palmatus is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is the type species of genus Rheobates erected in 2006. Its common name is palm rocket frog. It is endemic to Colombia. It is considered to be part of a species complex.
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.
The lovely poison frog or lovely poison-arrow frog is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is found on the Caribbean versant of Central America from southeastern Nicaragua through Costa Rica to northwestern Panama, with one record just west of the Panama Canal. Populations from the Pacific versant, formerly included in this species, are now identified as Phyllobates vittatus.
The La Loma tree frog is a species of frog in the family Hylidae found in Costa Rica, Panama, and expected but not confirmed in Colombia. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland and montane forests, with breeding taking place in streams. It is threatened by habitat loss and chytridiomycosis.
Pristimantis gaigei is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is found in the Atlantic drainage lowlands from extreme southeastern Costa Rica to eastern Panama and to central Colombia; it is widely distributed in Colombia west of the Cordillera Oriental. Its natural habitat is primary humid lowland forest, but it also occurs in secondary forest. It is a nocturnal species found under surface debris and in leaf-litter.
Hemiphractus fasciatus, or the banded horned treefrog, is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is found in northwestern Ecuador and possibly the Pacific slopes of the Cordillera Occidental in Colombia; although formerly listed for Panama, this involves the similar and closely related H. elioti, H. kaylockae and H. panamensis. It is a relatively large frog that may readily bite.
