- Ranitomeya amazonica
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Ranitomeya amazonica 
Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Amphibia Order: Anura Family: Dendrobatidae Genus: Ranitomeya Species: R. amazonica Binomial name Ranitomeya amazonica
Schulte, 1999Synonyms Dendrobates amazonicus (Schulte, 1999)
Ranitomeya amazonica is a poison dart frog in the genus Ranitomeya. It was first described by Rainer Schulte in 1999 as Dendrobates amazonicus when he separated it from Dendrobates ventrimaculatus. The validity of the species is still being discussed among scientists. A continuous distribution of the species all along the Amazon, has not been confirmed.[2]
According to Schulte, Ranitomeya amazonica is 16-19 mm long with smooth, black skin. The torso is laterally striped orange or red while the legs and arms feature a mesh of blue, grey or green on black. There is no explicit sexual dimorphism in this frog but females tend to be slightly bigger than males.[2] Unfortunately, the separation was carried out only by morphological criteria (color and marking pattern). Comparative call analysis, or genetic data was not available.
Contents
Conservation status
It is listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List.[1] The number of them in the wild is unknown.
Description
Ranitomeya amazonica which sports a burst of "flame" on its head and water-patterned legs.
Range and habitat
Its habitat is in the Amazon jungle. Ranitomeya amazonica is endemic to Peru, it is found at 200 m altitude in the province of Maynas in the region of Loreto. http://frogsaregreen.com/tag/ranitomeya-amazonica/ It is believed that it might range more widely. The frog has been encountered in the Alpahuayo Mishana National Reserve in Peru.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/8086252/New-species-discovered-in-the-Amazon-include-a-bald-parrot-and-a-tiger-striped-tarantula.html?image=2 3/1/2011
References
- ^ a b Javier Icochea, Ariadne Angulo, Karl-Heinz Jungfer (2004). "Ranitomeya amazonica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2006. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/55172.
- ^ a b "Ranitomeya amazonica (SCHULTE, 1999)" (in German). DendroBase. http://www.dendrobase.de/index.php?gattung=Ranitomeya&art=amazonica&id=12220.
- Schulte, Rainer (1999) (in German). Artenteil Peru. Pfeilgiftfrösche. 2. Stuttgart: Nikola Verlag.
- Grant, Frost, Caldwell, Gagliardo, Haddad, Kok, Means, Noonan, Schargel, and Wheeler (2006). "Phylogenetic systematics of dart-poison frogs and their relatives". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 299: 171.
- "Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 5.4". Darrel Frost and The American Museum of Natural History. http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/?action=references&id=7129.
- http://frogsaregreen.com/tag/ranitomeya-amazonica/ Feb.9,2011
External links
Data related to Ranitomeya amazonica at Wikispecies- New species discovered in Amazon Yahoo News.
Categories:- IUCN Red List data deficient species
- Poison dart frogs
- Amphibians of Peru
- Animals described in 1999
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