The Aromobatidae are a family of

frogs A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...

native to

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. They are sometimes referred to as cryptic forest frogs or cryptic poison frogs. They are the

sister taxon In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and t ...

of the

Dendrobatidae Poison dart frog (also known as dart-poison frog, poison frog or formerly known as poison arrow frog) is the common name of a group of frogs in the Family (biology), family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central and South America. T ...

, the poison dart frogs, but are not as toxic as most dendrobatids are.

Taxonomy

The Aromobatidae were separated from the Dendrobatidae only in 2006, and some sources continue to treat these frogs as part of the Dendrobatidae. However, their position as the

sister taxa In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and t ...

is well supported, and the question is primarily about whether they should be ranked as a family or a subfamily. The validity of subfamilies within the Aromobatidae is also unsettled. Some evidence points to

paraphyly In taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...

of at least the subfamily Anomaloglossinae, and genus ''

Allobates ''Allobates'' is a genus of frogs in the family Aromobatidae. They are native to the Central and South Americas, from Nicaragua to Bolivia and Brazil, with one species on Martinique. Description and ecology Species of the genus ''Allobates'' are ...

'', largely because of the uncertain placement of ''

Allobates olfersioides ''Allobates olfersioides'' (common name: Rio rocket frog) is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to the coastal regions of the Atlantic Forest biome of eastern Brazil. This formerly very common species has recently decl ...

''. Some species are reported to have a skunk like odor. This strong odor is secreted through the skin but theses frogs are not toxic. This strong odor is used as a defense mechanism against predators.

Reproduction

Many aromobatids deposit small clutches of eggs in terrestrial nests. After hatching, one of the parents transports the

tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found i ...

s to a small water body, where they complete their development to metamorphosis. '' Anomaloglossus stepheni'', ''

Anomaloglossus degranvillei ''Anomaloglossus degranvillei'' (common name: Degranville's rocket frog) is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is known from French Guiana but is likely to occur also in Suriname and Brazil, and possibly in Guyana. It is named in ...

'', ''

Allobates chalcopis ''Allobates chalcopis'', also known as the Martinique volcano frog or ravine rocket frog, is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to Martinique, where it is found at high-altitude areas including Mount Pelée and potential ...

'', and ''

Allobates nidicola ''Allobates nidicola'' is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist fores ...

'' are four aromobatid species that have non-feeding tadpoles.

Subfamilies and species

By late 2019, 126 species in three subfamilies and five genera had been described: *

Allobatinae ''Allobates'' is a genus of frogs in the family Aromobatidae. They are native to the Central and South Americas, from Nicaragua to Bolivia and Brazil, with one species on Martinique. Description and ecology Species of the genus ''Allobates'' are ...

Grant, Frost, Caldwell, Gagliardo, Haddad, Kok, Means, Noonan, Schargel, and Wheeler, 2006 (55 spp.) ** ''

'' Zimmermann and Zimmermann, 1988 (55 spp.) * Anomaloglossinae Grant, Frost, Caldwell, Gagliardo, Haddad, Kok, Means, Noonan, Schargel, and Wheeler, 2006 (32 spp.) ** ''

Anomaloglossus ''Anomaloglossus'' is a genus of frogs in the family Aromobatidae. The genus is endemic to the Guiana Shield in northern South America. It used to be placed in the family Dendrobatidae (together with other genera in the current Aromobatidae), an ...

'' Grant, Frost, Caldwell, Gagliardo, Haddad, Kok, Means, Noonan, Schargel, and Wheeler, 2006 (30 spp.) ** ''

Rheobates ''Rheobates'' is a genus of frogs in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to Colombia. These are cryptically coloured frogs with extensive toe webbing. The name ''Rheobates'' is derived from the Greek words ''rheo'' (stream, current) and βάτ ...

'' Grant, Frost, Caldwell, Gagliardo, Haddad, Kok, Means, Noonan, Schargel, and Wheeler, 2006 (two spp.) * Aromobatinae Grant, Frost, Caldwell, Gagliardo, Haddad, Kok, Means, Noonan, Schargel, and Wheeler, 2006 (38 spp.) ** '' Aromobates'' Myers, Paolillo-O., and Daly, 1991 (18 spp.) ** ''

Mannophryne ''Mannophryne'' is a genus of frogs native to Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands ...

'' La Marca, 1992 (20 spp.) In addition, '' "Prostherapis" dunni'' Rivero, 1961 is placed in this family, but its more precise placement is unknown; it might be an ''Aromobates''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q55310 Dendrobatoidea Amphibian families Taxa named by Janalee P. Caldwell Taxa named by Darrel Frost Taxa named by Taran Grant Taxa named by Philippe J.R. Kok Taxa named by D. Bruce Means Taxa named by Walter E. Schargel