| Dendrobates | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dendrobates tinctorius | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Dendrobatidae |
| Subfamily: | Dendrobatinae |
| Genus: | Dendrobates Wagler, 1830 |
| Type species | |
| Dendrobates tinctorius Cuvier, 1797 | |
| Diversity | |
| 5 species (seetext) | |
 | |
| Distribution of the fiveDendrobates species | |
Dendrobates is a genus ofpoison dart frogs native to Central and South America. It once contained numerous species, but most originally placed in this genus have been split off into other genera such asAdelphobates,Ameerega,Andinobates,Epipedobates,Excidobates,Oophaga,Phyllobates andRanitomeya (essentially all the brightly marked poison dart frogs; i.e. excluding the duller genera in the family likeColostethus andHyloxalus), leaving only five large to medium-sized species in the genusDendrobates.[1][2] All the other genera used to be grouped in withDendrobates because it was previously thought that all brightly colored poison dart frogs came from the same ancestor but this has since been proven to be incorrect.[3]Dendrobates andPhyllobates evolvedconspicuous coloration from the same common ancestor but not the same as any of the other genera listed above.[4]
There is accumulating evidence thatDendrobates are diet specialists and sequester the toxin found on their skin from their diet. It has been found that diet specialization evolved in tandem with conspicuous coloration in the case ofDendrobates.[5]
The generic nameDendrobates is derived from Ancient Greek δένδρον déndron 'tree' and βάτης bátēs 'one that treads', meaning ‘tree climber’.[6]
Dendrobates mostly live on the forest floor. They lay their eggs in damp leaf litter on the forest floor. After the eggs hatch, some species ofDendrobates carry their tadpoles on their backs up to the rainforest canopy so they can grow in the pools of water on top ofBromeliaceae, and feed their tadpoles with unfertilized eggs.[7]
| Image | Common name | Binomial name and authority[8] | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Green and black poison dart frog | Dendrobates auratus(Girard, 1855) | southeastern Nicaragua on the Atlantic slope and southeastern Costa Rica on the Pacific coast through Panama to northwestern Colombia (Chocó Department) |
 | Yellow-banded poison dart frog | Dendrobates leucomelasSteindachner, 1864 | Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela and the extreme easternmost part of Colombia |
| Rockstone poison dart frog | Dendrobates nubeculosusJungfer and Böhme, 2004 | near Rockstone, Guyana | |
 | Dyeing poison dart frog | Dendrobates tinctorius(Cuvier, 1797) | Guiana Shield, including parts of Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, and nearly all of French Guiana. |
 | Yellow-striped poison dart frog | Dendrobates truncatus(Cope, 1861) | Colombia |
Authority control databases: National |
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