Striped Poison Dart Frog

Appearance

Adult males measure 18.5–21 mm and females 21–24 mm 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.

Naming

Populations from the Pacific versant, formerly included in this species, are now identified as "Phyllobates vittatus".

Habitat

"Phyllobates lugubris" inhabits humid lowland forests at elevations of 10–601 m above sea 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. Eggs are laid in dry leaf-litter. The hatching tadpoles are transported by males to forest streams to complete the larval development.

General habitat loss and pollution are potential threats to this species. Chytrid fungus, "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. It is present in several protected areas.