AmphibiaWeb - Dendrobatidae
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(Translations may not be accurate.)
Dendrobatidae
213 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 AmphibiaWeb
Notable 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 RedList
Relevant 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
(74 species)
Genus
Ameerega
(34 species)    [subfamily Colostethinae]
Ameerega altamazonica
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Ameerega bassleri
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no sound/video
Ameerega berohoka
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Ameerega bilinguis
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Ameerega boehmei
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Ameerega boliviana
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Ameerega braccata
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Ameerega cainarachi
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no sound/video
Ameerega flavopicta
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Ameerega hahneli
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Ameerega ignipedis
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Ameerega imasmari
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Ameerega ingeri
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Ameerega kuriinti
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Ameerega labialis
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Ameerega macero
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Ameerega maculata
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Ameerega munduruku
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Ameerega panguana
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Ameerega parvula
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Ameerega pepperi
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Ameerega peruviridis
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no sound/video
Ameerega petersi
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Ameerega picta
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Ameerega planipaleae
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Ameerega pongoensis
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Ameerega pulchripecta
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Ameerega rubriventris
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Ameerega shihuemoy
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Ameerega silverstonei
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Ameerega simulans
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Ameerega trivittata
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Ameerega yoshina
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no sound/video
Ameerega yungicola
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Genus
Colostethus
(20 species)    [subfamily Colostethinae]
Colostethus agilis
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no sound/video
Colostethus alacris
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no sound/video
Colostethus brachistriatus
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Colostethus dunni
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Colostethus dysprosium
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no sound/video
Colostethus fraterdanieli
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Colostethus furviventris
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Colostethus imbricolus
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no sound/video
Colostethus inguinalis
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Colostethus latinasus
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Colostethus lynchi
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Colostethus mertensi
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Colostethus panamansis
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Colostethus poecilonotus
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Colostethus pratti
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Colostethus ramirezi
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Colostethus ruthveni
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Colostethus thorntoni
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Colostethus ucumari
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Colostethus yaguara
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Genus
Epipedobates
(7 species)    [subfamily Colostethinae]
Epipedobates anthonyi
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Epipedobates boulengeri
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Epipedobates currulao
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Epipedobates espinosai
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Epipedobates machalilla
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Epipedobates narinensis
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Epipedobates tricolor
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Genus
Leucostethus
(5 species)    [subfamily Colostethinae]
Leucostethus argyrogaster
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no sound/video
Leucostethus bilsa
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Leucostethus fugax
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Leucostethus jota
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Leucostethus siapida
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Genus
Silverstoneia
(8 species)    [subfamily Colostethinae]
Silverstoneia dalyi
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no sound/video
Silverstoneia erasmios
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Silverstoneia flotator
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Silverstoneia gutturalis
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Silverstoneia minima
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Silverstoneia minutissima
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Silverstoneia nubicola
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Silverstoneia punctiventris
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Subfamily
Dendrobatinae
(66 species)
Genus
Adelphobates
(3 species)    [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Adelphobates castaneoticus
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no sound/video
Adelphobates galactonotus
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Adelphobates quinquevittatus
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Genus
Andinobates
(16 species)    [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Andinobates abditus
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Andinobates altobueyensis
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Andinobates bombetes
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Andinobates cassidyhornae
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Andinobates claudiae
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Andinobates daleswansoni
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Andinobates dorisswansonae
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Andinobates fulguritus
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Andinobates geminisae
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Andinobates minutus
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Andinobates opisthomelas
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Andinobates supata
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Andinobates tolimensis
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Andinobates victimatus
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Andinobates viridis
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Andinobates virolinensis
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Genus
Dendrobates
(5 species)    [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Dendrobates auratus
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Dendrobates leucomelas
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Dendrobates nubeculosus
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Dendrobates tinctorius
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Dendrobates truncatus
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no sound/video
Genus
Excidobates
(3 species)    [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Excidobates captivus
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Excidobates condor
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no sound/video
Excidobates mysteriosus
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Genus
Minyobates
(1 species)    [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Minyobates steyermarki
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no sound/video
Genus
Oophaga
(12 species)    [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Oophaga anchicayensis
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Oophaga andresi
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no sound/video
Oophaga arborea
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no sound/video
Oophaga granulifera
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Oophaga histrionica
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no sound/video
Oophaga lehmanni
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no sound/video
Oophaga occultator
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no sound/video
Oophaga pumilio
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Oophaga solanensis
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no sound/video
Oophaga speciosa
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no sound/video
Oophaga sylvatica
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no sound/video
Oophaga vicentei
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no sound/video
Genus
Phyllobates
(7 species)    [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Phyllobates aurotaenia
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no sound/video
Phyllobates bezosi
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Phyllobates bicolor
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Phyllobates lugubris
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no sound/video
Phyllobates samperi
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no photos
no sound/video
Phyllobates terribilis
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no sound/video
Phyllobates vittatus
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no sound/video
Genus
Ranitomeya
(19 species)    [subfamily Dendrobatinae]
Ranitomeya aetherea
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no photos
no sound/video
Ranitomeya amazonica
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no sound/video
Ranitomeya aquamarina
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no photos
no sound/video
Ranitomeya benedicta
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Ranitomeya cyanovittata
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no photos
no sound/video
Ranitomeya defleri
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no photos
no sound/video
Ranitomeya fantastica
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no sound/video
Ranitomeya flavovittata
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no sound/video
Ranitomeya hwata
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no photos
no sound/video
Ranitomeya imitator
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no sound/video
Ranitomeya reticulata
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no sound/video
Ranitomeya sirensis
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no sound/video
Ranitomeya summersi
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Ranitomeya toraro
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no sound/video
Ranitomeya uakarii
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no sound/video
Ranitomeya vanzolinii
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Ranitomeya variabilis
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Ranitomeya ventrimaculata
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Ranitomeya yavaricola
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no sound/video
Subfamily
Hyloxalinae
(73 species)
Genus
Ectopoglossus
(7 species)    [subfamily Hyloxalinae]
Ectopoglossus absconditus
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no photos
no sound/video
Ectopoglossus astralogaster
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no sound/video
Ectopoglossus atopoglossus
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no sound/video
Ectopoglossus confusus
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no sound/video
Ectopoglossus isthminus
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no sound/video
Ectopoglossus lacrimosus
no account
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no sound/video
Ectopoglossus saxatilis
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no photos
no sound/video
Genus
Hyloxalus
(63 species)    [subfamily Hyloxalinae]
Hyloxalus abditaurantius
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no photos
no sound/video
Hyloxalus aeruginosus
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus anthracinus
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus arliensis
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no photos
no sound/video
Hyloxalus awa
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus azureiventris
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus betancuri
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus bocagei
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus borjai
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus breviquartus
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus cevallosi
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus chlorocraspedus
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus chocoensis
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Hyloxalus craspedoceps
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Hyloxalus delatorreae
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Hyloxalus edwardsi
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Hyloxalus elachyhistus
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Hyloxalus eleutherodactylus
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Hyloxalus exasperatus
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Hyloxalus excisus
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Hyloxalus faciopunctulatus
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Hyloxalus fallax
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Hyloxalus fascianigrus
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Hyloxalus felixcoperari
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Hyloxalus fuliginosus
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Hyloxalus idiomelus
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus infraguttatus
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Hyloxalus insulatus
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Hyloxalus italoi
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus jacobuspetersi
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus jhoncito
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no photos
no sound/video
Hyloxalus lehmanni
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus leucophaeus
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus littoralis
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus maculosus
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Hyloxalus maquipucuna
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Hyloxalus marmoreoventris
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Hyloxalus mittermeieri
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Hyloxalus mystax
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Hyloxalus nexipus
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Hyloxalus parcus
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no sound/video
Hyloxalus patitae
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Hyloxalus peculiaris
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Hyloxalus peruvianus
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Hyloxalus pinguis
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Hyloxalus pulchellus
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Hyloxalus pulcherrimus
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Hyloxalus pumilus
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Hyloxalus ramosi
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Hyloxalus ruizi
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Hyloxalus saltuarius
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Hyloxalus sanctamariensis
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Hyloxalus sauli
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Hyloxalus shuar
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Hyloxalus sordidatus
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Hyloxalus spilotogaster
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Hyloxalus subpunctatus
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Hyloxalus sylvaticus
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Hyloxalus toachi
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Hyloxalus utcubambensis
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Hyloxalus vergeli
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Hyloxalus vertebralis
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Hyloxalus yasuni
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Genus
Paruwrobates
(3 species)    [subfamily Hyloxalinae]
Paruwrobates andina
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no sound/video
Paruwrobates erythromos
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no sound/video
Paruwrobates whymperi
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no photos
no sound/video
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AmphibiaWeb
: Information on amphibian biology
and conservation. [web application].
Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available:
(Accessed:
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policy on data use.