Dendrobatidae (see family information on Tree of Life site)
Dart-Poison Frogs This family has recently been revised taxonomically (Grant et al., 2006) and now contains 11 genera. Members are small, brightly colored neotropical frogs. Dart-poison frogs derive their name from the fact that the more derived genera in this group are brightly colored and produce toxic skin alkaloids, which are obtained through the insects they eat. Three species (Phyllobates terribilis, Phyllobates aurotaenia, and Phyllobates bicolor) have been documented as being used to poison blow-gun darts for hunting animals, in Colombia. The most toxic species of any frog is Phyllobates terribilis, which produces batrachotoxins and homobatrachoxins at a level approximately 20-fold that of other dart-poison frogs.
Dendrobatids have short but strong hind limbs and are agile jumpers and climbers. They are characterized by the presence of divided scutes (thick pads of skin) on the dorsal surface of their digits. These frogs are diurnal and lay eggs on land. Many dendrobatid species exhibit parental care, with the males or females (depending on the species) transporting their tadpoles on the back of the parent. In some species, each tadpole is placed in a separate treehole or other small water-containing enclosure, and females or both parents visit the tadpoles periodically, with the female depositing unfertilized eggs at each visit to feed the tadpole. Males are highly territorial, partaking in vocalization and wrestling competitions and display cephalic amplexus (grasping the female around the head during mating, unique among anurans).
Phyllobates terribilis
Photo by Danté Fenolio
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Genus Adelphobates (3 species)
Adelphobates castaneoticus species account photos no range maps no sounds Adelphobates galactonotus no species account photos no range maps no sounds Adelphobates quinquevittatus no species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Ameerega (30 species)
Ameerega altamazonica species account photos range maps sounds Ameerega andina no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega bassleri no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega bilinguis no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega boliviana no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega braccata no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega cainarachi no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega erythromos no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega flavopicta no species account photos no range maps sounds Ameerega hahneli no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega ignipedis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega ingeri no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega labialis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega macero no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega maculata no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega parvula no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega pepperi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega peruviridis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega petersi species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega picta species account photos no range maps sounds Ameerega planipaleae no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega pongoensis no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega pulchripecta no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega rubriventris no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega silverstonei no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega simulans no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega smaragdina no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega trivittata species account photos no range maps sounds Ameerega yoshina no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ameerega yungicola no species account no photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Colostethus (22 species)
Colostethus agilis species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus alacris no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus brachistriatus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus dunni no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus dysprosium no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus fraterdanieli no species account photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus fugax no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus furviventris no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus imbricolus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus inguinalis no species account photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus jacobuspetersi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus latinasus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus lynchi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus mertensi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus panamansis no species account photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus poecilonotus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus pratti no species account photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus ramirezi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus ruthveni no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus thorntoni no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus ucumari no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Colostethus yaguara no species account no photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Dendrobates (5 species)
Dendrobates auratus species account photos no range maps no sounds Dendrobates leucomelas species account photos range maps no sounds Dendrobates nubeculosus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Dendrobates tinctorius species account photos no range maps no sounds Dendrobates truncatus no species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Epipedobates (6 species)
Epipedobates anthonyi species account photos no range maps no sounds Epipedobates boulengeri no species account photos no range maps no sounds Epipedobates espinosai no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Epipedobates machalilla no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Epipedobates narinensis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Epipedobates tricolor no species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Excidobates (2 species)
Excidobates captivus species account photos range maps sounds Excidobates mysteriosus species account photos range maps sounds
Genus Hyloxalus (57 species)
Hyloxalus abditaurantius no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus aeruginosus species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus anthracinus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus argyrogaster species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus awa no species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus azureiventris no species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus betancuri no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus bocagei no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus borjai no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus breviquartus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus cevallosi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus chlorocraspedus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus chocoensis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus delatorreae no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus edwardsi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus elachyhistus species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus eleutherodactylus species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus exasperatus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus excisus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus faciopunctulatus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus fallax no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus fascianigrus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus fuliginosus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus idiomelus species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus infraguttatus no species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus insulatus species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus lehmanni no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus leucophaeus species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus littoralis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus maculosus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus maquipucuna no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus marmoreoventris no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus mittermeieri no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus mystax no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus nexipus species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus parcus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus patitae no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus peculiaris no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus peruvianus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus pinguis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus pulchellus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus pulcherrimus species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus pumilus no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus ramosi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus ruizi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus saltuarius no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus sauli no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus shuar no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus sordidatus species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus spilotogaster species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus subpunctatus no species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus sylvaticus species account photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus toachi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus utcubambensis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus vergeli no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus vertebralis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hyloxalus whymperi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Minyobates (1 species)
Minyobates steyermarki no species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Oophaga (9 species)
Oophaga arborea no species account photos no range maps no sounds Oophaga granulifera species account photos no range maps sounds Oophaga histrionica species account photos no range maps no sounds Oophaga lehmanni species account photos range maps no sounds Oophaga occultator no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oophaga pumilio species account photos no range maps sounds Oophaga speciosa no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oophaga sylvatica no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oophaga vicentei no species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Phyllobates (5 species)
Phyllobates aurotaenia species account photos no range maps no sounds Phyllobates bicolor species account photos no range maps no sounds Phyllobates lugubris species account photos no range maps no sounds Phyllobates terribilis species account photos no range maps no sounds Phyllobates vittatus species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Ranitomeya (30 species)
Ranitomeya abdita no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya altobueyensis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya amazonica no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya benedicta species account photos no range maps sounds Ranitomeya biolat no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya bombetes no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya claudiae no species account photos no range maps sounds Ranitomeya daleswansoni no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya dorisswansonae no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya duellmani no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya fantastica no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya flavovittata no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya fulgurita no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya ignea no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya imitator species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya intermedia no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya lamasi no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya minuta no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya opisthomelas no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya reticulata no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya rubrocephala no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya sirensis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya summersi species account photos no range maps sounds Ranitomeya tolimensis species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya uakarii no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya vanzolinii species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya variabilis no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya ventrimaculata no species account photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya viridis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Ranitomeya virolinensis species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Silverstoneia (3 species)
Silverstoneia erasmios no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Silverstoneia flotator no species account photos no range maps no sounds Silverstoneia nubicola no species account no photos no range maps no sounds
Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2009. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: 2009).
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