Phyllobates lugubris
| Phyllobates lugubris | ||||||||||||
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Phyllobates lugubris |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Phyllobates lugubris | ||||||||||||
| ( Schmidt , 1857) |
Phyllobates lugubris is a species of the genus Blattsteiger ( Phyllobates ) and belongs to the family of poison dart frogs (Dendrobatidae). It is also referred to in German as the gloomy leaf climber . As with many poison dart frogs, the strong body color warns predators of the animals' toxicity.
features
The species are small frogs with a head-to-trunk length of 21 millimeters (males) or 24 millimeters (females). The skin is slightly grainy on the back, the top of the limbs and the bottom of the thighs. The skin is smooth on the underside of the limbs and abdomen. The head is longer than it is wide and has a rounded, blunt snout. Both the teeth in the jawbone and in the roof of the oral cavity are formed. The first finger is longer than the second, the spaces between the toes are webbed. The males develop dark oestrus calluses on the inside of the thumbs and have stronger forearms than the females.
The frogs come in a number of color variations. The basic body color is black; on both sides of the back there are pale yellow to deep golden orange or turquoise stripes. In addition, another longitudinal strip can be formed in the middle of the back. In a population living on Colón Island , these three stripes are so pronounced that they turn almost the entire back yellow. Another light turquoise to white stripe runs from the tip of the snout below the eyes on the upper lip to the arms. The tops of the legs are more or less marbled in the color of the longitudinal stripes. The ventral side is black and marbled in blue, green, white or silver. The throat is pure black. The eyes are large and have a black or dark brown iris. They therefore stand out only poorly from the basic black color of the body. The frog species Pristimantis gaigeae mimics the appearance of Phyllobates lugubris .
The tadpoles reach a length of about 24 millimeters. Their body and tail muscles are dark brown in color, with the color becoming a little lighter towards the belly. The fin edge is transparent and has brown spots. The tail length is about 58 percent. The body is flattened, the height of the tail does not grow in direct proportion to the length. The muzzle is rounded and has the nostrils on the side. The eyes are dorsolateral. The mouth opening is directed downwards.
Occurrence
The species occurs in the Caribbean lowland rainforests from the southeastern foothills of Nicaragua , over Costa Rica to the northwest of Panama . It can also be found on the islands of Bocas del Toro . They can be found from sea level to around 650 meters. The animals prefer wet and humid forests in the lowlands, but also occur on the edge of humid forests in the beginning of the mountainous region. They inhabit the fallen leaves in the litter, preferably near slowly flowing water.
Way of life
Phyllobates lugubris is diurnal and very agile. The animals are not territorial. They feed on a wide variety of invertebrates, mostly on ground-living spiders and insects such as ants .
The breeding season is during the rainy season. The males usually call out to the females from hidden places. You can hear them mainly in the morning and in the evening and also when the humidity is high. It is an evenly high trill consisting of screams and gurgling sounds that last for several seconds. The sound can be compared to rubbing against an inflated balloon. Males and females together build a nest on the ground in the middle of the foliage. The amplexus during mating is sometimes quite rough. Only the male takes care of the offspring. This moisten the nest with the spawning clutch at regular intervals. The larvae hatch after 9 to 14 days. They are then carried by the male in groups of five to ten on the back to nearby watering holes. After about two months, the metamorphosis to the frog is complete, which is then about 12 millimeters long. After a further 10 months, the animals are sexually mature.
Danger
The species is regionally threatened by the loss of its habitat. In particular, deforestation and water pollution are responsible for this. The IUCN has not yet rated the entire population as "Least Concern".
Poison
Like the other species of the genus Phyllobates , the frogs form highly toxic batrachotoxins in their skin. Phyllobates lugubris is not very poisonous compared to other species of the genus because of the low concentration in their body. Sometimes no poison is formed either.
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Web links
- www.dendrobase.de
- amphibiaweb.org (Engl.)
- IUCN Red List (English; with distribution map)