Phantasmal poison frog


The phantasmal poison frog or phantasmal poison-arrow frog is a species of poison dart frog. It is endemic to Ecuador and known from the Andean slopes of the 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 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, a chemical of pharmacological interest.
Phantasmal poison frogs live in a similar areas to Epipedobates machalilla 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. This is because of its limited range, estimated to be less than and the apparent decline in numbers of this species.