CR

Rio Negro Rocket Frog

Hyloxalus marmoreoventris

Declining

Overview

Hyloxalus marmoreoventris is a species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Ecuador and only known from its type locality on the eastern slope of the Andes in the Tungurahua Province. It is a little known species which possibly has not been observed after the holotype was collected in 1962.

Hyloxalus marmoreoventris faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development in its restricted Andean range. The species' dependence on pristine cloud forest streams makes it particularly vulnerable to water pollution from agricultural runoff and mining activities. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the delicate moisture and temperature conditions required for successful breeding in high-altitude environments.

Threat summary

Habitat

This poison dart frog inhabits pristine cloud forests and montane rainforests at elevations between 1,500-2,500 meters in the Andes. The species requires clean, fast-flowing streams with rocky substrates for breeding and dense forest canopy cover to maintain the humid microclimate essential for survival.

Forest· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recoveryEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in DENDROBATIDAE

Blessed Poison FrogVU

Blessed Poison Frog

Ranitomeya benedicta

Declining
EN

Colostethus ucumari

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Ameerega pepperi

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Darwin Wallace Poison-Frog

Epipedobates darwinwallacei

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Threatened in Ecuador

EN

Puya fastuosa

Unknown
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Diospyros esmereg

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Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

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Baird's Tapir

Tapirus bairdii

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Rio Negro Rocket Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Rio Negro Rocket 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. Hyloxalus marmoreoventris faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development in its restricted Andean range. The species' dependence on pristine cloud forest streams makes it particularly vulnerable to water pollution from agricultural runoff and mining activities. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the delicate moisture and temperature conditions required for successful breeding in high-altitude environments.
Where does Rio Negro Rocket Frog live?
Rio Negro Rocket Frog occurs in Ecuador. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Rio Negro Rocket Frog?
The main threats to Rio Negro Rocket Frog are 2.1, 2.3, 5.3, and 8.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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