Striped Poison-Dart Frog

About the Striped Poison-Dart Frog

The lovely poison frog or lovely poison-arrow frog (Phyllobates lugubris) is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is found on the Caribbean versant of Central America from southeastern Nicaragua through Costa Rica to northwestern Panama, with one record just west of the Panama Canal. Populations from the Pacific versant, formerly included in this species, are now identified as Phyllobates vittatus.

Adult males measure 18.5–21 mm (0.73–0.83 in) and females 21–24 mm (0.83–0.94 in) in snout–vent length. Maxillary teeth are present. The dorsum is black with a pair of dorsolateral stripes, typically pale yellow to gold or orange, running along the sides of the dorsum from near the hindlimbs to the snout. The limbs are usually mottled with yellow–greenish yellow. The ventral surfaces are mottled with extensive black pigment, often to an extent that gives nearly solid black appearance. While P. lugubris is normally toxic like other related species, some populations in Central America are not known to be toxic.

The male frog finds a concealed perch, such as in a watery area surrounded by vegetation. He then calls to the female frog. The female... Wikipedia →