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
Dendrobates azureiventris (Kneller and Henle, 1985)
Epipedobates azureiventris (Kneller and Henle, 1985)
Cryptophyllobates azureiventris (Kneller and Henle, 1985)
Ameerega 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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.


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