The lovely poison frog or lovely poison-arrow frog (''Phyllobates lugubris'') is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

in the family

Dendrobatidae 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 (biology), family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central America, Central an ...

. It is found on the Caribbean versant of

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

from southeastern

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

through

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

to northwestern

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

, with one record just west of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

. Populations from the Pacific versant, formerly included in this species, are now identified as '' Phyllobates vittatus''. Phyllobates lugubris map-fr

Description

Adult males measure and females in snout–vent length.

Maxillary teeth A tooth (: teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tearin ...

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.Daly, J.W. (1995). The chemistry of poisons in amphibian skin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 92: 9-13.

Reproduction

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 frog lays eggs on dry

leaf litter Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall, or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that has fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituen ...

. The male frog cares for the eggs, protecting them from dehydration via hydric brooding. After the eggs hatch, the male frog carries the tadpoles on his back to streams, where they complete development.

Habitat and conservation

''Phyllobates lugubris'' inhabits humid lowland forests (marginally the premontane forests) at elevations of

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. It can also occur in secondary growth and plantations. It is diurnal and terrestrial. Adult frogs are often found by rocky sections of forest streams. General

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

and pollution are potential threats to this species.

Chytrid fungus Chytridiomycota are a division of zoosporic organisms in the kingdom Fungi, informally known as chytrids. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek ('), meaning "little pot", describing the structure containing unreleased zoospores. Chytrids ...

, '' Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis'', has been detected in museum specimens but its impact on natural populations is unknown. ''Phyllobates lugubris'' is sometimes present in the pet trade, with some illegal collection occurring. It is listed in the

CITES Appendix II CITES (shorter acronym for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of inte ...

. It is present in several protected areas.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q144562 Phyllobates Amphibians of Costa Rica Amphibians of Nicaragua Amphibians of Panama Taxa named by Eduard Oscar Schmidt Amphibians described in 1857 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot