Dendrobatidae |  |
209 species in 16 genera
Commonly Called Poison-arrow Frogs, Dart-poison Frogs, Poison-dart Frogs
Oophaga pumilio
Photo by Brian Freiermuth
(Click for family gallery)Species of this family are small, brightly colored, neotropical frogs. Dart-poison frogs derive their name from the brightly colored species in the group which sequester toxic skin alkaloids, obtained through the insects they eat. Three species (Phyllobates terribilis, Phyllobates aurotaenia, and Phyllobates bicolor) are known to being used for poisoning 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).
This family has had several taxonomic revisions and examinations (e.g., Grant et al., 2006; Santos et al., 2010; Santos and Cannatella 2011; see Blackburn and Wake 2011 for a summary). Species from three former subfamilies (Allobatinae, Anomaloglossinae, and Aromobatinae) now form the family Aromobatidae.
News Highlight
October 30, 2017: Although many animals avoid toxic prey, some use the toxins of their prey to ward off predators. However, toxic animals risk self-poisoning unless they can resist their own toxins. Tarvin et al. (2017) found that in poison frogs the basis of self-resistance to the neurotoxin epibatidine is a single genetic change that evolved in three groups; nature hit upon the same solution repeatedly. This change occurs in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, the molecular target of epibatidine. It makes the receptor more resistant to epibatidine, but it inhibits normal function by decreasing sensitivity to acetylcholine. To cope with this acetylcholine issue, some poison frogs evolved additional mutations that compensate for the cost by modifying the molecule so that acetylcholine activation is normal, but the negative effect of epibatidine is still reduced. (DCC)May 8, 2017: Many amphibian species that are phenotypically indistinguishable are genetically very distinct, leading to the recognition of "cryptic" species. The reverse case, in which interspecific variation in traits such as color is high, relative to genetic divergence, is less common. Tarvin et al. (2017), in a study of the poison frog group Epipedobates, found that among species that are otherwise easily distinguishable by calls and coloration, genetic divergence is only 2 to 3%. Moreover, this rapid divergence resulted in two independent origins of colorful aposematic species. Probably no other group of frogs shows so rapid an origin of the aposematic phenotype.
Written by AmphibiaWebNotable Family Characteristics
- Diurnal
- Cephalic amplexus (unique among frogs)
- Eggs are laid, hatch into tadpoles and cared for by parents
- Males may be highly territorial and 'combat' each other
- Morphological characters include: 1) thickened pads or scutes on dorsal surface of digits; 2) toxic skin alkaloids
- Distribution limited to the neotropical rainforests of Central and South America
Cartography Credit: Zoe Yoo, UC Berkeley
Range maps sources: AmphibiaWeb, UC Berkeley, and IUCN RedListRelevant Reference
Blackburn, D. C., and D. B. Wake. 2011. Class Amphibia Gray, 1825. Zhang, Z.-q. ed., Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 3955.
Grant, T., D. R. Frost, J. P. Caldwell, R. Gagliardo, C. F. B. Haddad, P. J. R. Kok, D. B. Means, B. P. Noonan, W. E. Schargel, and W. C. Wheeler. 2006. Phylogenetic systematics of dart-poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia: Athesphatanura: Dendrobatidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 299: 1262
Pough, F. H., R. M. Andrews, M. L. Crump, A. H. Savitzky, K. D. Wells, and M. C. Brandley. 2015. Herpetology. Fourth Edition. Massachusetts: Sinauer.
Santos, J.C. and Cannatella, D.C. 2011. Phenotypic integration emeges from aposematism and scale in poison frogs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 108, 61756180.
Santos JC, Coloma LA, Summers K, Caldwell JP, Ree R, Cannatella DC (2009) Amazonian Amphibian Diversity Is Primarily Derived from Late Miocene Andean Lineages. PLoS Biol 7(3): e1000056. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1000056
Tarvin, R.D., Borghese, C.M., Sachs, W., Santos, J.C., Lu, Y., O'Connell, L.A., Cannatella, D.C., Harris, R.A., Zakon, H.H., (2017). "Interacting amino acid replacements allow poison frogs to evolve epibatidine resistance." Science 22 Sep 2017 : 1261-1266
Vitt, L. J., and J. P. Caldwell. 2013. Herpetology. An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. Fourth Edition. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Subfamily Colostethinae (73 species)
Genus Ameerega (33 species) [subfamily Colostethinae]
Genus Colostethus (20 species) [subfamily Colostethinae]
Colostethus agilis account photos no sound/video Colostethus alacris no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus brachistriatus no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus dunni no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus dysprosium no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus fraterdanieli no account photos no sound/video Colostethus furviventris no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus imbricolus account photos no sound/video Colostethus inguinalis no account photos no sound/video Colostethus latinasus no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus lynchi no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus mertensi no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus panamansis account photos no sound/video Colostethus poecilonotus no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus pratti no account photos no sound/video Colostethus ramirezi no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus ruthveni no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus thorntoni no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus ucumari no account no photos no sound/video Colostethus yaguara no account no photos no sound/video
Genus Epipedobates (7 species) [subfamily Colostethinae]
Epipedobates anthonyi account photos no sound/video Epipedobates boulengeri no account photos no sound/video Epipedobates darwinwallacei no account photos no sound/video Epipedobates espinosai no account no photos no sound/video Epipedobates machalilla account photos no sound/video Epipedobates narinensis account photos no sound/video Epipedobates tricolor account photos no sound/video
Genus Leucostethus (5 species) [subfamily Colostethinae]
Leucostethus argyrogaster account photos no sound/video Leucostethus bilsa no account no photos no sound/video Leucostethus fugax no account no photos no sound/video Leucostethus jota no account photos no sound/video Leucostethus siapida no account no photos no sound/video
Genus Silverstoneia (8 species) [subfamily Colostethinae]
Silverstoneia dalyi account no photos no sound/video Silverstoneia erasmios no account no photos no sound/video Silverstoneia flotator no account photos no sound/video Silverstoneia gutturalis no account no photos no sound/video Silverstoneia minima no account no photos no sound/video Silverstoneia minutissima account no photos no sound/video Silverstoneia nubicola no account photos no sound/video Silverstoneia punctiventris account no photos no sound/video
Subfamily Dendrobatinae (63 species)Genus Adelphobates (3 species) [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Adelphobates castaneoticus account photos no sound/video Adelphobates galactonotus account photos no sound/video Adelphobates quinquevittatus no account photos no sound/video
Genus Andinobates (16 species) [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Andinobates abditus no account no photos no sound/video Andinobates altobueyensis no account photos no sound/video Andinobates bombetes account photos no sound/video Andinobates cassidyhornae account photos no sound/video Andinobates claudiae no account photos sound/video Andinobates daleswansoni account photos no sound/video Andinobates dorisswansonae account photos no sound/video Andinobates fulguritus account photos no sound/video Andinobates geminisae account photos sound/video Andinobates minutus no account photos no sound/video Andinobates opisthomelas no account photos no sound/video Andinobates supata no account no photos no sound/video Andinobates tolimensis account photos no sound/video Andinobates victimatus no account photos no sound/video Andinobates viridis no account no photos no sound/video Andinobates virolinensis account photos no sound/video
Genus Dendrobates (5 species) [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Dendrobates auratus account photos no sound/video Dendrobates leucomelas account photos no sound/video Dendrobates nubeculosus account no photos no sound/video Dendrobates tinctorius account photos no sound/video Dendrobates truncatus account photos no sound/video
Genus Excidobates (3 species) [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Excidobates captivus account photos sound/video Excidobates condor account photos no sound/video Excidobates mysteriosus account photos sound/video
Genus Minyobates (1 species) [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Minyobates steyermarki account photos no sound/video
Genus Oophaga (12 species) [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Oophaga anchicayensis no account photos no sound/video Oophaga andresi no account photos no sound/video Oophaga arborea account photos no sound/video Oophaga granulifera account photos sound/video Oophaga histrionica account photos no sound/video Oophaga lehmanni account photos no sound/video Oophaga occultator no account no photos no sound/video Oophaga pumilio account photos sound/video Oophaga solanensis no account photos no sound/video Oophaga speciosa account no photos no sound/video Oophaga sylvatica account photos no sound/video Oophaga vicentei account photos no sound/video
Genus Phyllobates (7 species) [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Phyllobates aurotaenia account photos no sound/video Phyllobates bezosi no account no photos no sound/video Phyllobates bicolor account photos no sound/video Phyllobates lugubris account photos no sound/video Phyllobates samperi no account no photos no sound/video Phyllobates terribilis account photos no sound/video Phyllobates vittatus account photos no sound/video
Genus Ranitomeya (16 species) [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Ranitomeya amazonica no account photos no sound/video Ranitomeya benedicta account photos sound/video Ranitomeya cyanovittata account no photos no sound/video Ranitomeya defleri account no photos no sound/video Ranitomeya fantastica account photos no sound/video Ranitomeya flavovittata no account photos no sound/video Ranitomeya imitator account photos no sound/video Ranitomeya reticulata no account photos no sound/video Ranitomeya sirensis account photos no sound/video Ranitomeya summersi account photos sound/video Ranitomeya toraro account photos no sound/video Ranitomeya uakarii account photos no sound/video Ranitomeya vanzolinii account photos no sound/video Ranitomeya variabilis account photos no sound/video Ranitomeya ventrimaculata no account photos no sound/video Ranitomeya yavaricola account photos no sound/video
Subfamily Hyloxalinae (73 species)Genus Ectopoglossus (7 species) [subfamily Hyloxalinae]
Ectopoglossus absconditus no account no photos no sound/video Ectopoglossus astralogaster no account no photos no sound/video Ectopoglossus atopoglossus no account no photos no sound/video Ectopoglossus confusus account no photos no sound/video Ectopoglossus isthminus no account no photos no sound/video Ectopoglossus lacrimosus no account no photos no sound/video Ectopoglossus saxatilis no account no photos no sound/video
Genus Hyloxalus (63 species) [subfamily Hyloxalinae]
Hyloxalus abditaurantius no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus aeruginosus account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus anthracinus no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus arliensis no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus awa no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus azureiventris account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus betancuri no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus bocagei no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus borjai no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus breviquartus no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus cevallosi no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus chlorocraspedus no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus chocoensis no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus craspedoceps account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus delatorreae no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus edwardsi account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus elachyhistus account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus eleutherodactylus account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus exasperatus no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus excisus no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus faciopunctulatus no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus fallax no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus fascianigrus no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus felixcoperari account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus fuliginosus no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus idiomelus account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus infraguttatus no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus insulatus account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus italoi no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus jacobuspetersi no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus jhoncito no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus lehmanni no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus leucophaeus account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus littoralis no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus maculosus no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus maquipucuna no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus marmoreoventris no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus mittermeieri no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus mystax no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus nexipus account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus parcus no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus patitae no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus peculiaris no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus peruvianus no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus pinguis no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus pulchellus no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus pulcherrimus account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus pumilus no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus ramosi no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus ruizi no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus saltuarius no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus sanctamariensis no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus sauli no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus shuar no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus sordidatus account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus spilotogaster account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus subpunctatus no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus sylvaticus account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus toachi no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus utcubambensis no account no photos no sound/video Hyloxalus vergeli no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus vertebralis no account photos no sound/video Hyloxalus yasuni no account photos no sound/video
Genus Paruwrobates (3 species) [subfamily Hyloxalinae]
Paruwrobates andina no account no photos no sound/video Paruwrobates erythromos no account no photos no sound/video Paruwrobates whymperi no account no photos no sound/video
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