Ranitomeya


Ranitomeya is a genus of dart poison frogs found in Panama and South America south to Peru and Brazil, possibly into Bolivia.

Taxonomy

In 2006 Grant et al. revised the systematics of dart poison frogs and placed many species formerly classified in the genera Dendrobates, Minyobates and Phyllobates in Ranitomeya. In 2011 Brown and colleagues, following other scientists who assumed the existence of two distinct clades in Ranitomeya, erected the genus Andinobates for 12 species of Ranitomeya.
Ranitomeya and Andinobates frogs can be distinguished from those in genera such as Dendrobates in that they are generally smaller, have more than two colors, and seem to glitter if viewed from certain angles. Ranitomeya is widespread in the Amazon basin, whereas Andinobates species are found only in the northern Andes down to Central America.

Description

Adults measure no more than in snout–vent length and are typically brightly colored, often with bright yellow, red, or green dorsum that can be uniform in color or with stripes or dots. Also the throat has distinctive color, usually yellow, orange or red. Dorsal skin is smooth or weakly granular. The head is narrower than the body. Fingers and toes bear discs, with those on the fingers being large.

Threats

Many Ranitomeya species are threatened by habitat loss and collection for the pet trade.

Species

There are 16 Ranitomeya species:
ImageScientific nameDistribution
Ranitomeya amazonica northeastern Amazonian Peru and extreme southeastern Colombia, and expected in the adjacent Brazil, Venezuela; extreme southern Guyana; eastern French Guiana; the mouth of the Amazon in Brazil
Ranitomeya benedicta Brown, Twomey, Pepper, and Sanchez-Rodriguez, 2008
Ranitomeya cyanovittata Pérez-Peña, Chávez, Twomey, and Brown, 2010Pampas del Sacramento in southern Loreto and eastern San Martín Region, northeastern Peru-
Ranitomeya defleri Twomey and Brown, 2009southeastern Colombia-
Ranitomeya fantastica eastern Sierra del Divisor, Loreto, Peru-
Ranitomeya flavovittata northern San Martín and Loreto Regions, Peru-
Ranitomeya imitator Loreto Region, Peru
Ranitomeya reticulata eastern Peru.
Ranitomeya sirensis Amazon rainforest in Peru and Ecuador.
Ranitomeya summersi Brown, Twomey, Pepper, and Sanchez-Rodriguez, 2008central Huallaga River drainage and adjacent Cordillera Azul National Park in central Peru
Ranitomeya toraro Brown, Caldwell, Twomey, Melo-Sampaio, and Souza, 2011western Brazil in the states of Acre and Amazonas, and in the north of Rondônia state-
Ranitomeya uakarii southern Peru, central Peru, western Brazil, along the upper Amazon, and as far west as central Guyana.-
Ranitomeya vanzolinii Amazonian rainforests of Brazil and Peru
Ranitomeya variabilis Huallaga River drainage of San Martín Region, Peru
Ranitomeya ventrimaculata Brazil, southeastern Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, and Peru.
Ranitomeya yavaricola Pérez-Peña, Chávez, Twomey, and Brown, 2010Rio Yavari-Mirin, Loreto, Peru-

Dendrobates rubrocephalus Schulte, 1999 is placed here Incertae Sedis.