Ranitomeya is a genus of dart poison frogs found in Panama and South America south to Peru and Brazil, possibly into Bolivia.[1]
In 2006 Grant et al. revised the systematics of poison dart frogs and placed many species formerly classified in the genera Dendrobates, Minyobates and Phyllobates in Ranitomeya.[2] In 2011 Brown and colleagues, following other scientists who assumed the existence of two distinct clades in Ranitomeya, erected the genus Andinobates for 12 species of Ranitomeya.[3]
Ranitomeya and Andinobates frogs can be distinguished from those in genera such as Dendrobates in that they are generally smaller, have more than two colors, and seem to glitter if viewed from certain angles. Ranitomeya is widespread in the Amazon basin, whereas Andinobates species are found only in the northern Andes down to Central America.
Adults measure no more than 21mm in snout–vent length and are typically brightly colored, often with bright yellow, red, or green dorsum that can be uniform in color or with stripes or dots. Also the throat has distinctive color, usually yellow, orange or red. Dorsal skin is smooth or weakly granular. The head is narrower than the body. Fingers and toes bear discs, with those on the fingers being large.[3] Some species, such as R. Variabilis, in the genus exhibit tadpoles transport and cannibalistic behavior.[4]
Many Ranitomeya species are threatened by habitat loss and collection for the pet trade.[5] [6] [7]
There are currently 16 accepted species in the genus Ranitomeya:[1] [8]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Ranitomeya amazonica (Schulte, 1999) | northeastern Amazonian Peru (Loreto Region, including the type locality) and extreme southeastern Colombia (Amazonas Department), and expected in the adjacent Brazil, Venezuela; extreme southern Guyana; eastern French Guiana; the mouth of the Amazon in Brazil | |
| Ranitomeya benedicta Brown, Twomey, Pepper, and Sanchez-Rodriguez, 2008 | ||
| Ranitomeya cyanovittata Pérez-Peña, Chávez, Twomey, and Brown, 2010 | Pampas del Sacramento in southern Loreto and eastern San Martín Region, northeastern Peru | |
| Ranitomeya defleri Twomey and Brown, 2009 | southeastern Colombia | |
| Ranitomeya fantastica (Boulenger, 1884) | eastern Sierra del Divisor, Loreto, Peru | |
| Ranitomeya flavovittata (Schulte, 1999) | northern San Martín and Loreto Regions, Peru | |
| Ranitomeya imitator (Schulte, 1986) | Loreto Region, Peru | |
| Ranitomeya reticulata (Boulenger, 1884) | eastern Peru. | |
| Ranitomeya sirensis (Aichinger, 1991) | Amazon rainforest in Peru and Ecuador. | |
| Ranitomeya summersi Brown, Twomey, Pepper, and Sanchez-Rodriguez, 2008 | central Huallaga River drainage and adjacent Cordillera Azul National Park in central Peru | |
| Ranitomeya toraro Brown, Caldwell, Twomey, Melo-Sampaio, and Souza, 2011 | western Brazil in the states of Acre and Amazonas, and in the north of Rondônia state | |
| Ranitomeya uakarii (Brown, Schulte, and Summers, 2006) | southern Peru (Madre de Dios), central Peru (Pachitea drainage), western Brazil (near Porto Walter), along the upper Amazon (in Peru and Colombia), and as far west as central Guyana. | |
| Ranitomeya vanzolinii (Myers, 1982) | Amazonian rainforests of Brazil and Peru | |
| Ranitomeya variabilis (Zimmermann and Zimmermann, 1988) | Huallaga River drainage of San Martín Region, Peru | |
| Ranitomeya ventrimaculata (Shreve, 1935) | Brazil, southeastern Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, and Peru. | |
| Ranitomeya yavaricola Pérez-Peña, Chávez, Twomey, and Brown, 2010 | Rio Yavari-Mirin, Loreto, Peru | |
Dendrobates rubrocephalus Schulte, 1999 is placed here Incertae Sedis.[1]