Oophaga

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Oophaga
Strawberry Frog (Oophaga pumilio)

Strawberry Frog ( Oophaga pumilio )

Systematics
Order : Frog (anura)
Subordination : Neobatrachia
Superfamily : Dendrobatoidea
Family : Poison Dart Frogs (Dendrobatidae)
Subfamily : Dendrobatinae
Genre : Oophaga
Scientific name
Oophaga
Bauer , 1994

Oophaga is a genus of poison dart frogs (Dendrobatidae). It currently consists of nine relatively small species that can be found in southern Central America and northern South America. The best-known species of this genus is the strawberry frog ( Oophaga pumilio ), which is also a type of the genus.

features

The species in the genus Oophaga are small to medium-sized poison dart frogs. All species are brightly colored.

The genus itself has been described primarily on the basis of molecular biological characteristics and morphological similarities between the larvae and their pronounced egg feeding ( oophagia ). These features include the enlarged mouth area, which is adapted to the oophagia, with the pronounced horny beak and the enlarged marginal papillae . In terms of molecular biology, the species form a clade that is clearly distinct from other genera .

distribution

The representatives of the genus Oophaga can only be found in Central America and in northwestern South America west of the Andes , i.e. in western Colombia and northwest Ecuador . Thus their distribution area coincides with that of the leaf climbers ( Phyllobates ), whereby both genera have a distribution gap in eastern Panama . Both genera probably originated about 10 million years ago after the Andes folded up and immigrated to the newly formed Central America 3.5 million years ago.

The granulated tree climber ( Oophaga granulifera ), the most original species of the Oophaga , belonged to the species that immigrated very early, like Phyllobates vittatus , and was isolated in its range on the Osa Peninsula (Costa Rica) by dry forest areas and the high mountain range. A later immigration to Central America took place along the Caribbean coast, from which emerged among others the strawberry frog ( Oophaga pumilio ) and Oophaga arborea .

Way of life

All species are active in the foliage layer of their forest habitats during the day and feed on small insects such as ants and termites .

The larvae after hatching to small water retention in plants ( phytotelmata distributed) and individually from the mother fed with unfertilized eggs. This behavior gives the genus its name and, in addition to the characteristics of the larvae and the molecular biological characteristics already mentioned, justifies the monophyly of the group. The typical chirping call is also common to the species.

Systematics

Oophaga was spun off as an independent genus in 1994 by L. Bauer from the genus of tree climbers ( Dendrobates ). This separation became scientifically only with the revision of the entire family by Grant et al. 2006 sufficiently justified and recognized. Grant et al. the authors Silverstone 1975 and Myers, Dany and Martinez 1984, who had already described the species now included in the genus as separate groups of species within the genus Dendrobates .

The type species of the genus is Oophaga pumilio . All species previously belonged to the genus Dendrobates and were separated out as a separate taxon and compared to this and the newly created genus Adelphobates as sister taxons . Together these three genera in turn represent the sister taxon of Minyobates , Phyllobates and Ranitomeya within the Dendrobatinae.

The genus currently contains 9 valid species:

Oophaga granulifera

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c T. Grant, 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, W. C. Wheeler: Phylogenetic systematics of dart-poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia, Athesphatanura , Dendrobatidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 299, 2006, pages 1–262, full text (PDF; 12.5 MB)
  2. ^ L. Bauer: New names in the family Dendrobatidae (Anura, Amphibia) . RIPA, Fall, pp. 1-6, 1994
  3. ^ Philipp A. Silverstone: A Revision of the Poison-Arrow-Frogs of the Genus Dendrobates Wagler. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Bulletin 21, 1975, pages 1-55, full text ( Memento of the original from August 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 12.9 MB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.dendrobates.org
  4. ↑ C. W. Myers, J. W. Daly, V. Martinez: An arboreal poison frog (Dendrobates) from western Panama. American Museum Novitas 2783, 1984, pages 1–20, full text (PDF; 4.8 MB)

Web links

Commons : Oophaga  - collection of images, videos and audio files