| Discovery |
Bibron in Tschudi 1838 (Hylaplesia picta), Classification der Batrachier mit Berücksichtigung der fossilen Thiere dieser Abtheilung der Reptilien. Petitpierre, Neuchâtel: 28, 71.
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| Type locality |
"Santa Cruz", Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
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| Holotype |
Syntypes: MNHNP 4910 (Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Laboratoire des Amphibiens et Reptiles in Paris, France) (2 specimens , according to Guibé, 1950 "1948", Catalogue des types d'amphibiens du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Paris: 32); male designated lectotype by Silverstone, 1976, Sci. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles Cty., 27: 42; MNHNP XXXX designated lectotype by Lescure, 1976, Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Paris, (3)377: 487.
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| Etymology |
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| Classification |
Epipedobates pictus, is type-species of the pictus group (Frost, 1985 & Duellman, 1993).
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| Synonymy |
English name: Spot-Legged Poison Frog
- Hylaplesia picta Tchudi, 1838
- Dendrobates pictus--Duméril and Bibron, 1841, Erpetologie Général ou Histoire Naturelle complète des reptiles. Vol. 8. Roret, Paris, 8: 656.
- Dendrobates eucnemis Steindachner, 1864, Verh. Zool. Bot. Ges. Wien., 14: 239-288 [258]. Syntypes: NHMW 19190.1-4; NHMW 19190.3 designated lectotype by Silverstone, 1976, Sci. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles Cty., 27: 42. Type locality: Rio Mamoré, Rondônia, Brazil. Synonymyy by B. Lutz, 1952, Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, 50: 597-607.
- Dendrobates pictus pictus--B. Lutz, 1952, Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, 50: 601.
- Dendrobates pictus eucnemis--B. Lutz, 1952, Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, 50: 607.
- Dendrobates pictus guayanensis Heatwole, Solano, and Heatwole, 1965, Acta Biologica Venezuelica. Caracas, 4(12): 350. Holotype: MBUCV 3112. Type locality: "forest between Rancho Alegre and base of Altiplanicie, on trail to Quebrada Cabeza de Burro, 5 km east of Las Chicharras, 47 km north of Tumeremo. Altiplanicie de Nuria, 100-250 m.", Bolivar, Venezuela.
- Phyllobates pictus--Silverstone, 1975, Sci. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles Cty., 21: 11.
- Dendrobates pictus--Myers, Daly, and Malkin, 1978, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 161: 332.
- Epipedobates pictus--Myers, 1987, Papeis Avulsos Zoologia. Universidade de São Paulo, 36: 303.
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| History |
In 1976, Silverstone revised the poison frogs of the genus Phyllobates. He added six artificial colour mutations. In 1987, Charles Myers made a new revision; some species of the genus Phyllobates were brought to the genus Epipedobates.
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| Physical description |
Because of the large distribution area of E. pictus a lot of colour mutations did develop. E. pictus is very similar to E. femoralis, who has basal toe-webbings and maxillary teeth. Some pictus from Perú and Ecuador have miniscule teeth. It has been suggested that pictus is evolving into a toothless mouth. In the distribution area both with and without teeth live together. Silverstone measured 148 pictus and found an average size of 23.2mm for the males (16.5-29.5) and an average size of 24.4mm (19.5-31.5) for the females. Noticeable are the huge differences in size. Further proof of their hetrogenity can be found in the fact that their vertical distribution varies from 6m to 915m elevation.
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| Distribution |
Together with femoralis, E. pictus has a large distribution area. They can be found in parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guyana's, Peru, Surinam and Venezuela.
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| Biotope |
Pictus has been found on two different elevations. One about 900 meter and the other about 300 meter. In Avipas, region Chapare (Cochabamba, Bolivia) Kris Hermans/Dirk Ercken started their first search for the two poison frog species of Bolivia. The first time was in June 1998 during the dry season (May-September). During this period, the area is plagued by cold patagonic winds (surassu). These surassus can last for days or weeks. During the surassu temperatures drop to 10°C at night and about 16°C during the day. The frogs were found in secondary mountain rainforest. They live in grasses and bushes. Pictus also breeds during the dry season.
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| Care and breeding |
Five frogs can be kept in a vivarium of 80x40x50 (lxdxh), at a temperature of about 22 - 23°C during the day, dropping to about 19°C at night. The water temperature can be about 20°C. The call of E. pictus is a 'tscick-tschick-tschik'. This call can be heard during feeding time as well, so it might be used for territorial use as well. The call is very loud and can be heard early in the morning and late in the evening (between 9pm and 9am). The 10 to 30 eggs are laid in dry bromeliads and plastic film boxes. The larvae hatch after about 3 weeks and are taken to the water by the male. The larvae can be raised together in a small aquarium with a water depth of about 10 cm, for they are not cannibalistic. Metamorphosis takes about 8 to 10 weeks, after which the froglets can be fed with small fruit flies and springtails.
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| Foto's |
The foto published here with the kind permission of © Mick Bajcar
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| Films |
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