Sky-blue poison frog
The sky-blue poison frog (Hyloxalus azureiventris) is a species of poison dart frog. It is endemic to Peru and known from the lower eastern versant of the Andes in the upper Amazon basin of the San Martín Region.[2]
| Sky-blue Poison Frog | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Dendrobatidae |
| Genus: | Hyloxalus |
| Species: | H. azureiventris |
| Binomial name | |
| Hyloxalus azureiventris (Kneller and Henle, 1985) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Phyllobates azureiventris Kneller and Henle, 1985 | |
Habitat and ecology
The species habitat is primarily lowland tropical rainforests as well as inland wetlands of Peru. Little is known about the species' adaptability to modified habitats. The sky-blue poison frog lays its eggs under leaf litter found in its habitat. The larvae are then transported to small streams to hatch.[3]
Taxonomy
The species has been placed in numerous genera,[2] including the new genus Cryptophyllobates erected for it.[4] However, it is now placed in Hyloxalus;[2][4] although Hyloxalus azureiventris represents a distinct clade within Hyloxalus, recognizing it formally would render the rest of Hyloxalus paraphyletic.[4]
Description
Its main distinguishing feature is dorsolateral stripes that run down the back and end on the posterior.
Conservation status and threats
Due to the decreasing population of sky-blue poison frogs, the species is ranked as endangered by the IUCN. The major threat to the species is habitat loss resulting from human residential and commercial development.[3]
References
- Javier Icochea; Ariadne Angulo; Karl-Heinz Jungfer; Stefan Lötters; Wilfredo Arizabal; Jorge Luis Martinez (2004). "Hyloxalus azureiventris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T55169A11263017. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T55169A11263017.en.
- Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Hyloxalus azureiventris (Kneller and Henle, 1985)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
- Icochea, Javier; Angulo, Ariadne; Jungfer, Karl-Heinz; Lötters, Stefan; Arizabal, Wilfredo; Martinez, Jorge Luis (2004-04-30). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Hyloxalus azureiventris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
- Grant, T.; Frost, D. R.; Caldwell, J. P.; Gagliardo, R.; Haddad, C. F. B.; Kok, P. J. R.; Means, D. B.; Noonan, B. P.; Schargel, W. E. & Wheeler, W. C. (2006). "Phylogenetic systematics of dart-poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia: Athesphatanura: Dendrobatidae)" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 299: 1–262. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2006)299[1:PSODFA]2.0.CO;2.