The dendrobatid frogs of Central America
The strictly neotropical frog family Dendrobatidae is represented in Central America by three genera and 11 species. The bright colored, toxic poison arrow frogs belong to the genera Dendrobates and Phyllobates with five (auratus, granuliferus, minutus, pumilio, and speciosus) and one species (lugubris), respectively, in the region. Most of the species previously placed in Phyllobates, Prostherapis, or Hyloxalus are inconspicuous and apparently non-toxic forms for which Colostethus Cope 1867, is the first available name. Five Central American species (inguinalis, latinasus, nubicola, pratti, and talamancae) represent the latter genus in Central America. In all known members of the family eggs are laid on land and the larvae are carried to water on the back of a parent after hatching. Tadpoles of eight Central American species are known, those of C. inguinalis, C. latinasus, and P. lugubris here described for the first time. All Central American dendrobatids are found in wet evergreen forest situations and none ranges north of Nicaragua. The area of greatest species diversity is near the Colombia-Panamá boundary, where seven species (C. inguinalis, C. latinasus, C. nubicola, C. pratti, C. talamancae, D. auratus, and D. minutus) occur, but six of these forms comprise the dendrobatid fauna of central Panamá (only latinasus is lacking). In Costa Rica and western Panamá four species (C. nubicola, C. talamancae, D. auratus, and P. lugubris) are found on both Atlantic and Pacific lowlands. D. pumilio (Atlantic) and D. granuliferus (Pacific) apparently replace one another. C. pratti does not occur in Costa Rica but forms part of the Atlantic western Panamá fauna. Only D. auratus and D. pumilio range into Nicaragua. Seven of the species are restricted to the tropical lowlands; two lowland forms range into the subtropical zone, C. nubicola to its upper limit at 1700-1800 m and D. pumilio to 960 m. C. latinasus (1100-1400 m) and D. speciosus (1300-1400 m) are not known from lowland environments. As many as five species of dendrobatids occur sympatrically at localities on the Atlantic and Pacific lowlands of Costa Rica.
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| Format: | biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
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Kansas (EUA): American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists,
1968
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| Subjects: | RANA, ANFIBIOS, ANIMALES ACUATICOS, BIODIVERSIDAD, DISTRIBUCION GEOGRAFICA, NICARAGUA, PANAMA, AMERICA CENTRAL, COLOMBIA, |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.2307/1441845 |
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