''Dendrobates'' is a genus of

poison dart frog Poison dart frog (also known as dart-poison frog, poison frog or formerly known as poison arrow frog) is the common name of a group of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central and South America. These species are ...

s 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 as '' Adelphobates'', ''

Ameerega ''Ameerega'' is a genus of poison dart frogs in the family Dendrobatidae. These frogs live around rocks that are nearby streams. They are found in central South America north to Panama. It contains many former species of the genus ''Epipedobates' ...

'', ''

Andinobates ''Andinobates'' is a genus of poison dart frogs from Ecuador, Colombia and Panama. It contains species formerly classified in the genus ''Dendrobates'' and in 2006 transferred to the genus ''Ranitomeya''. In 2011 Twomey, Brown, and their colleag ...

'', '' Epipedobates'', ''

Excidobates ''Excidobates'' is a genus of poison dart frogs endemic to the Marañón River drainage in Peru and Ecuador, South America. At one time members of this genus were classified as ''Dendrobates ''Dendrobates'' is a genus of poison dart frogs n ...

'', '' Oophaga'', '' Phyllobates'' and '' Ranitomeya'' (essentially all the brightly marked poison dart frogs; i.e. excluding the duller genera in the family like ''

Colostethus ''Colostethus'' is a genus of poison dart frogs native to Central and South America, from Panama south to Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru. Their common name is rocket frogs, but this name may refer to frogs in other genera and families, foll ...

'' and '' Hyloxalus''), leaving only five large to medium-sized species in the genus ''Dendrobates''. All the other genera used to be grouped in with ''Dendrobates'' 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. ''Dendrobates'' and ''Phyllobates'' evolved conspicuous coloration from the same common ancestor but not the same as any of the other genera listed above. There is accumulating evidence that ''Dendrobates'' 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 of ''Dendrobates''. The generic name ''Dendrobates'' is derived from the Greek words δένδρον ''dendron'' "tree" and βάτης ''batēs'' "one that treads", meaning ‘tree climber’.

Species

References

External links

Poison dart frogs Amphibians of Central America Amphibians of South America Amphibian genera Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler {{Dendrobatidae-stub