| Discovery |
Boulenger, G.A. Descriptions of new reptiles and batrachians collected by P.O. Simons in the Andes of Ecuador. Ann. Mag. Xat. Hist., ser. 7, 4: 454-457.
|
| Type locality |
Porvenir, Bolivar, western slope, about 5800 feet [1769 m]', Ecuador
|
| Holotype |
|
| Etymology |
Epipedobates: epipedos (G.)= on the bottom; bates (G.)= walker; referring to the terrestrial way of live. Tricolor: tri (L.)= three; color (L.)= colour; referring to the colour pattern of this species.
|
| Classification |
E. tricolor is a member of the Epipedobates femoralis-group.
|
| Synonymy |
Dutch name: Driekleurige gifkikker
German name: Dreistreifen-Baumsteiger
English name: Phantasmal Poison Frog
Prostherapis tricolor, Dendrobates tricolor. Phyllobates tricolor, Phyllobates antoniem type locality 'small streani at Salvias, Proi. El. Oro. Ecuador', Dendrobates anthonyi, Epipedobates anthonyi. Colostethus paradoxus Type locality: 'Lamtac. Cuenca, 2,535 m, Provincia Azuay Ecuador'.
|
| History |
Boulenger described this species as Prostherapis tricolor, in 1899 based on four specimens in the British Museum of Natural History collected by P.O. Simons. Simons collected these specimens on the western slopes of the Andes in Ecuador near Porvenir in de Bolivar province on 1770 m elevation. Barbour & Noble (1920: 401), in their revision, added tricolor to the genus Phyllobates. Silverstone (1976: 32), in his revision of Dendrobatidae added tricolor to Phyllobates as well, and specifically in the femoralis-group. In 1987 Myers described the genus Epipedobates with Prostherapsis tricolor (=Epipedobates tricolor) as type species. He added to this genus another twenty species that were added by Silverstone (1976) to Phyllobates. Because of the different skin toxins and the constant colour pattern of the real Phyllobates-specie sit was necessary to add a new genus for species of the femoralis-group, the Silverstonei-group and E.trivittatus. A further split within the genus is not unlikely. Henle (1992: 104) mentions fertile cross-breeds between E.tricolor and E.anthonyi and found the so-called typical markings of E.anthonyi with E.tricolor as well. He came to the logical conclusion that E.anthonyi is not a separate species but a synonym of E. tricolor. Duellman and Wild (1993: 30-31) came to the conclusion that Epipedobates anthonii (Noble, 1921) and Colostethus paradoxus (Rivero, 199l) are synonymy of E. tricolor.
|
| Physical description |
Adult males between 19.0- 24,5 mm. The females are a bit bigger: 21.5- 26.5 mm. The skin is completely smooth. The colour is bright red with three usually greenish fluorescent Stripes. The colour varies a bit between populations and individuals. Recently blue and white specimens have been found. Adolescents are brown and change to ever brighter red when they get older.
|
| Distribution |
Lives on the slopes on the Pacific side of the Andes in south-west Ecuador in the province El Oro, Bolivar and Azuai. The type material has been found on 1700 m elevation. Duellman & Wild (1993) mention this species in the bordering part of Peru: vallcien in the Cordillera de Huancabamba. Besides they mention specimens that were found in the low lands at about 20 m elevation. The type material of Colostethus paradoxus, a synonym of E.tricolor, is coming from Lamtac, Cuenca 2535 m elevation. In the end quite a large distribution area with several different elevations.
|
| Biotope |
J.A. Peters collected specimens in the area of creeks in dry areas with high grasses and pepper trees (Schinus of Capsicum) on ca. 1500 m elevation. Mudde & Wijngaarden (1990: 168) describe a biotope (of E.anthonyi) on the western slopes of the Andes in southern Ecuador. The climate in this area is equatorial cool and quite wet. The animals were found along creeks with a impenetrable vegetation in a, during the dry season, dry and dusty grassland. The vegetation contained a lot of drought resistant plants like epiphytic cactae and grey tillandsia. The trees drop their leaves during the dry season. Day time temperatures were about 28°C in the leave litter and water temperatures of 26°C at 12.00 pm the temperatures drop at night to 14°C.
|
| Care and breeding |
This species can be kept best in small groups of e.g. 2 males and 3 females in a vivarium of 60 X 50 X 60 (l x d x h). Decorate the vivarium with a lot of bromeliads to have enough places to lay eggs with a surrounding territory. The males have a call that sounds like a canary. This species should not be kept to hot, room temperature is excellent. At night the temperature can drop to 15°C, they have problems with temperatures above 28°C. But, as is shown from their distribution in Ecuador ranging from 20 m elevation to 2535 m elevation, this will absolutely not be valid for all populations. Try to find out where the animals are from! E tricolor is a lively species, that might react aggressive to other frogs in the vivarium. Keeping them together with other smaller species is not recommendable. The eggs are laid in an amplexus. Sometimes the eggs are fertilised just after the female has laid her eggs. The 20 - 25 eggs are guarded and taken care of by the male and hatch after about 3 weeks. The male takes them on his back and takes them to water. After ca 60 days the larvae's metamorphosis is complete and the froglets are 8-10 mm in size. They feed on small fruit flies, but springtails are a welcome addition. After about 8 months they are fully grown. Adult E.tricolor can be fed on fruit flies, small crickets, house flies and other small insects.
|
| Foto's |
The foto's published above with permission from © Jan Verkade, from his CD Herpetofauna Ecuador
The foto published here with the kind permission of © Erik Poelman
The foto published here with the kind permission of © Mick Bajcar
The foto's ( with the copyright mark ) published here with the kind permission of www.pumilio.com ©
|
| Films |
|
home