Polkadot Poison Frog
CR

Polkadot Poison Frog

Oophaga arborea

Declining

Photo: (с) ramon_d, некоторые права защищены (CC BY-NC), загрузил ramon_d

Overview

The polkadot poison frog is a species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae endemic to Panama, where it is known as rana venenosa in Spanish. Its natural habitats are humid lowland and montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss and is listed by the IUCN as being "critically endangered".

Oophaga arborea faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urban development within its limited range in western Colombia. The species is further imperiled by its extremely restricted distribution, making populations highly vulnerable to local extinctions, and ongoing collection pressure for the illegal pet trade due to its striking coloration.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits humid lowland and premontane rainforests of the Pacific coastal region of western Colombia, typically found in the leaf litter and low vegetation of primary and secondary forest areas at elevations up to approximately 1,200 meters.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist montane· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recoveryEx-situ conservationLegislationCompliance and enforcement

Other threatened species in DENDROBATIDAE

Blessed Poison FrogVU

Blessed Poison Frog

Ranitomeya benedicta

Declining
EN

Colostethus ucumari

Unknown
VU

Ameerega pepperi

Declining
EN

Darwin Wallace Poison-Frog

Epipedobates darwinwallacei

Declining

Threatened in Panama

VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining
EN

Baird's Tapir

Tapirus bairdii

Declining
VU

Black Petrel

Procellaria parkinsoni

Stable
EN

Flame Rivulus

Cynodonichthys uroflammeus

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Polkadot Poison Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Polkadot Poison Frog is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Oophaga arborea faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urban development within its limited range in western Colombia. The species is further imperiled by its extremely restricted distribution, making populations highly vulnerable to local extinctions, and ongoing collection pressure for the illegal pet trade due to its striking coloration.
Where does Polkadot Poison Frog live?
Polkadot Poison Frog occurs in Panama. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Polkadot Poison Frog?
The main threats to Polkadot Poison Frog are 1.1, 2.3, 5.1, and 5.1.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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