Ranitomeya summersi

Last updated

Ranitomeya summersi
Ranitomeya summersi (13503318514).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Dendrobatidae
Genus: Ranitomeya
Species:
R. summersi
Binomial name
Ranitomeya summersi
Brown, Twomey, Pepper, and Sanchez-Rodriguez, 2008 [2]
Synonyms

Dendrobates summersi(Brown, Twomey, Pepper, and Sanchez-Rodriguez, 2008)

Contents

Ranitomeya summersi, sometimes referred to as Summers' poison frog, [1] is a species of poison dart frogs found in the central Huallaga River drainage and adjacent Cordillera Azul National Park in central Peru. [1] [3] Before 2008, the species was considered a subspecies of Ranitomeya fantastica . [2] The IUCN considers it an endangered species because of limited habitat range, habitat loss, and collection for the pet trade. [1] [4] [5]

Morphology

Ranitomeya summersi is one of the larger species of poison dart frogs. It has an orange and black banded pattern and a large snout to vent length. Males and females exhibit no sexual dimorphism in snout to vent length, exhibiting a range from 15.5 mm to 20.4 mm. This species possesses a black marking over the eyes extending past the tympanum giving them the appearance of a mask. The species is a Batesian mimicry of Ranitomeya Variabilis. While Ranitomeya imitator can copy the appearance of R. summersi, R. summersi can be distinguished from the imitator by its soft buzz call which can only be heard less than 1 m away, and its dark mask which covers the tympanum. In contrast the Ranitomeya imitator calls are much louder and can be heard from 5 m away. [2]

Habitat

This diurnal frog is primarily terrestrial. It inhabits dry primary and secondary submontane forest. It has been observed between 180 and 700 meters above sea level. [6] [1]

Life cycle

The female frog lays eggs in leaf litter in clutches of 6-9. After the eggs hatch, the male frog carries them to pools of water inside holes in trees or in the axils of the plant Dieffenbachia. [6]

Threats

The IUCN classifies this frog as endangered because of the considerable and ongoing habitat loss associated with widespread deforestation in favor of both small-scale farming and agrobusiness. This frog is highly prized as a terrarium pet and can be captured for the international pet trade. Although there was some legal export circa 2001 and although it is possible to rear this animal in captivity, almost all the pet frogs currently held by humans are either illegal captures or the descendants of illegal captures. [1]

The frog's range has not been found to include any protected parks, but it passes near Cordillera Escalera Regional Conservation Area and Cordillera Azul National Park. As of 2018, the frog has not been formally observed as present in these parks. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mimic poison frog</span> Species of amphibian

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-headed poison frog</span> Species of amphibian

The red-headed poison frog, fantastic poison frog, or crowned poison frog is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Peru and found in the northern San Martín and Loreto Regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-bellied poison frog</span> Species of amphibian

The blue-bellied poison frog or bluebelly poison frog is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marañón poison frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Marañón poison frog is a species of frog of the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic the Cordillera del Condor, in the upper Marañón River drainage, of Cajamarca Department, Perú.

Ranitomeya rubrocephala is a species of frog of doubtful taxonomic status in the family Dendrobatidae.

<i>Ranitomeya vanzolinii</i> Species of frog

Ranitomeya vanzolinii, also known as the Brazilian poison frog or spotted poison frog, is a species of frog in the Ranitomeya genus, from the poison dart frog family, Dendrobatidae. It is found in the Amazonian rainforests of Brazil and Perú, and possibly Bolivia.

<i>Andinobates virolinensis</i> Species of amphibian

Andinobates virolinensis is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Colombia where it is confined to the Santander and Cundinamarca departments on the Cordillera Oriental.

<i>Ranitomeya</i> Genus of amphibians

Ranitomeya is a genus of dart poison frogs found in Panama and South America south to Peru and Brazil, possibly into Bolivia.

<i>Ranitomeya amazonica</i> Species of amphibian

Ranitomeya amazonica is a poison dart frog in the genus Ranitomeya. It was first described by Rainer Schulte in 1999 as Dendrobates amazonicus when he separated it from Dendrobates ventrimaculatus, primarily on the basis of call characteristics. The validity of the species has been debated, but further studies, also including genetic data, support its validity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-backed poison frog</span> Species of amphibian

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zimmerman's poison frog</span> Species of amphibian

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sira poison dart frog</span> Species of amphibian

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.

<i>Andinobates</i> Genus of amphibians

Andinobates is a genus of poison dart frogs from Ecuador, Colombia and Panama. It contains species formerly classified in the genus Dendrobates and in 2006 transferred to the genus Ranitomeya. In 2011 Twomey, Brown, and their colleagues erected the genus Andinobates for a group of 12 species of Ranitomeya. Andinobates frogs can be distinguished from their sister taxon Ranitomeya anatomically in that their 2nd and 3rd vertebrae are fused. They show no limb reticulation, which is present in most species of Ranitomeya.

<i>Ranitomeya benedicta</i> Species of amphibian

Ranitomeya benedicta, sometimes called the blessed poison frog, is a species of poison dart frogs found in the lowland rainforest of the Pampas del Sacramento in southern Loreto and eastern San Martín Region, northeastern Peru. Before 2008, the species was considered a subspecies of Ranitomeya fantastica. The IUCN considers the species vulnerable because of limited habitat range, habitat loss, and collection for the pet trade.

<i>Andinobates tolimensis</i> Species of amphibian

Andinobates tolimensis, the Tolimense poison frog, is a species of amphibian in the family Dendrobatidae, endemic to Colombia in the outskirts of Falan and north of the department of Tolima. Previously it was included in the genus Ranitomeya, but was reclassified in Andinobates, along with 11 other species. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is toxic to humans and when captured will excrete a milky substance.

<i>Ranitomeya uakarii</i> Species of amphibian

Ranitomeya uakarii, known as the red uakari poison frog, is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. The species can be found in the Amazon basin, specifically in Brazil and Peru.

Ranitomeya cyanovittata is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is native to Peru and scientists expect it also lives in Brazil.

<i>Ranitomeya yavaricola</i> Species of frog

Ranitomeya yavaricola is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Peru and possibly nearby Brazil.

Ranitomeya toraro, the Apuriná poison frog, is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Colombia and Brazil and possibly nearby Peru.

Andinobates daleswansoni is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Colombia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2018). "Ranitomeya summersi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T193430A89224207. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T193430A89224207.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Brown, Jason L.; Twomey, Evan; Pepper, Mark; Rodriguez, Manuel Sanchez (16 July 2008). "Revision of the Ranitomeya fantastica species complex with description of two new species from Central Peru (Anura: Dendrobatidae)". Zootaxa. 1823: 1–24.
  3. Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Ranitomeya summersi Brown, Twomey, Pepper, and Sanchez-Rodriguez, 2008". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  4. Twomey, Evan; Brown, Jason. "Ranitomeya summersi". Dendrobates.org. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  5. "Red list changes highlight threats from over-exploitation". TRAFFIC. 10 November 2011.
  6. 1 2 Evan Twomey (May 25, 2005). Kellie Whittaker; Brent Nguyen (eds.). "Ranitomeya summersi Brown, Twomey, Pepper, & Sanchez-Rodriguez, 2008". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved June 30, 2024.