The phantasmal poison frog or phantasmal poison-arrow frog (''Epipedobates tricolor'') is a species of

poison dart frog 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 Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central and South America. These species are ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

and known from the Andean slopes of central Ecuador in Bolívar Province. They have radiant colors. This species is endangered, and there are only a few locations in the wild where they are known to live.

Description

The phantasmal poison frog has a snout-to-vent length of about . It has a wide head and truncated snout and the skin is smooth. The first finger is longer than the second, and all the digits are partially webbed. The dorsal surface is usually green or yellow and there are longitudinal stripes.

Distribution and habitat

The phantasmal poison frog is known only from a number of locations in central Ecuador on the Andean slopes of Bolívar Province, at heights of between above sea level. Its natural habitat is very similar to other species of the

family in the leaf litter on the floor of the tropical forest, especially near streams, and in wetlands.

Biology

The species inhabits the Chocoan tropical and subtropical rain forest. Habitats include deforested areas as well as natural forests. They are found in banana and cacao plantations, and pastures near streams. The males carry the tadpoles to sites with running water. The frogs secrete

epibatidine Epibatidine is a chlorinated alkaloid that is secreted by the Ecuadoran frog '' Epipedobates anthonyi'' and poison dart frogs from the Ameerega genus. It was discovered by John W. Daly in 1974, but its structure was not fully elucidated until ...

, a chemical of pharmacological interest. Phantasmal poison frogs live in a similar areas to ''

Epipedobates machalilla ''Epipedobates machalilla'' is a slender species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. Endemic to West Ecuador, it lives in dry and low forests and was first described by in 1995. The IUCN have classed it as " least concern". Description ''E ...

'' yet the two to occupy different environmental niches, and their population distribution is small and overlaps with that of ''E.'' ''machalilla''. Genetic analysis places phantasmal poison frog clades within ''E.'' ''machalilla'' and suggests that the phantasmal poison frog diverged recently via either peripheral speciation or high phenotypic divergence.

Status

The phantasmal poison frog is listed as " vulnerable" by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

. This is because of its limited range, estimated to be less than and the apparent decline in numbers of this species.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q648741 Amphibians described in 1899 Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger Amphibians of Ecuador Endemic fauna of Ecuador Epipedobates