Amazon Alive: A Decade of Discoveries 1999-2009 - WWF

Amphibians
Beneath the canopy of the largest rainforest in the world, 216 new amphibian
species have been discovered in the last decade.
Between 1999 and 2009, 24 new poison dart frogs spanning four different
genera were discovered by scientists. The overwhelming majority have been
found in the Peruvian Amazon. Poison dart frogs are small – between 1.5cm
and 6cm – vibrantly coloured and toxic. In the wild, the frogs use their toxicity
to defend themselves against would-be predators.
The species Ranitomeya benedicta, officially described in 2008 31 , has a
striking appearance: a black body and limbs, with blue markings that
resemble a water pattern. Its head is bright red, with black markings over the
eyes. Some populations have a greater amount of blue on their bodies,
causing the legs and back of the body to seem uniform blue. The species is
widely distributed in the lowlands of the Loreto and San Martin regions of Peru.
Equally stunning is the species Ranitomeya summersi, also discovered in
2008 32 . Although from the same genus, the species is remarkably different from
Ranitomeya benedicta in that the frog is jet black with orange cross-bands
that almost seem to be painted on to the frog. The frog’s face is orange, with a
black mask over the eyes. The species is known from the San Martin region of
the Peruvian Amazon.
216
new amphibian species
It is not just Peru that can showcase some extraordinary-looking new frogs. In
Amazonian Ecuador, Nymphargus wileyi is known only from the cloud forests
in the vicinity of the Yanayacu Biological Station, Napo Province 35 . The species
was described in 2006 and is known only from six specimens collected during
three years of inventory work at Yanayacu. This suggests that Nymphargus
wileyi is a rare species 36 . The species is a so-called glass frog. While glass
frogs have a general background colour of vivid lime green, the abdominal skin
of some members of this family is transparent. The heart, liver and
gastrointestinal tract are visible through this translucent skin, hence the
common name.
If transparent frogs were not amazing enough, imagine the surprise of the
scientist who discovered a black frog with psychedelic shocking pink rings.
Although currently awaiting formal description, the new species from
Suriname, believed by scientists to belong to the Atelopus genus 37 , is
otherworldly. While science is still unable to ascertain the status of the pink
frog, the species deserves a mention as a further example of the bewildering
array of life still being uncovered in the Amazon.
There has also been a host of stunning poison dart frogs from the Ameerega
genus. These include the formal description in 2009 of the species Ameerega
yoshina, Ameerega ignipedis and Ameerega pepperi, from Ucayali and
Huallaga in Peru 33 .
The common name, poison dart frogs, is derived from the practice of
indigenous people in the Chocó forests of western Colombia, who rub their
blowgun darts onto the backs of the frogs (historically the species Phyllobates
terribilis or the golden poison frog) to load the darts with poison when hunting
animals 34 . Despite their name, only three frogs in Colombia are documented as
being used for this purpose. Poisonous plants are more commonly used.
Atelopus sp.
© Paul Ouboter
18 amazon alive! I a decade of discovery 1999-2009