| Discovery | Von Spix, J.B. (1824): Species novae ranarum quas in itinere annis 181 7-1820 per Brasilian jussu et auspisiis Maximiliani Josephi I Bavariae regis augustissimi suscepto collegit et descripsit. Münich. 29 pp. |
| Type locality | 'juxta flumen Teffé' =Rio Tefe, Brazil |
| Holotype | |
| Etymology | Phobobates: phobos (Gr.)= fear, flight, en bates (Gr.)= walker; referring to the shy behaviour. trivittatus: tri (L.)= three; vittatus (L.)= stripe; referring to the three stripes on the body. |
| Classification | Phobobates trivittatus is, together with Ph. bassleri and Ph. silverstonei a member of the genus Phobobates (Zimmermann & Zimmermann, 1988), type species Dendrobates silverstonei. This genus is not recognised or used by everyone anymore. The same is the case with the genus Ameerega (Bauer, 1986), type species: Hyla trivittata (Von Spix, 1824). Most of the time these three species are brought together with the genus Epipedobates. |
| Synonymy | Dutch name: ?Driestreep- (pijl) gifkikker English name: Threestriped Poison(-dart) Frog German name: Grüner Riesengiftfrosch Hyla trivittata, Phyllobates trivittatus, Dendrobates trivittatus, Epipedobates trivittatus, Ameerega nigerrima Dendrobates nigerrimus, Hyla nigerrima, Dendrobates tetravittatus, Dendrobates obscurus, Phyllobates nigerrima, Phyllobates tetravittatus |
| History | Von Spix (1824: 35, pl. 9, fig. 1) described this species as Hyla trivittata, based on material collected along the Rio Tefé in Brazil. In the same publication he described Hyla nigerrima, that was later seen as a synonym. In the following years Hyla trivittata was added to several genera: in Hylaplesia by Boie (in Schlegel), 1826, in Dendrobates by Wagler (1830), again in Hylaplesia by Tschudi (1838) and Günther (1858), again in Dendrobates by several authors. Silverstone (1976: 46) in his revision of Dendrobatidae, brought this species to Phyllobates. Myers finally added Hyla trivittata to the genus Epipedobates, after which Helmut and Elke Zimmermann placed the species into their current place in the genus Phobobates. |
| Physical description | Ph. trivittatus is one of the larger species of Dendrobatidae. The skin is lightly to medium granular on the back and upper side of the hind legs. The skin of the other body parts is smooth. This species has no teeth and no webbings on for and hind hands. The first toe is longer then the second toe. Ph.trivittatus knows three colour variations. The first, which is the same as the holotype, is found from Faro, Brazil to the west along the Amazon up to the Pongo de Manseriche in Peru and to the south up to Tingo Maria. The base colour is black, with three yellow-green or green stripes. In eastern Peru a variation is found with a few lateral stripes, but a uniformly green back. A third variation is found in Guyana and Surinam and along the down stream of the Amazon. The lateral stripes are green, yellow-green, yellow or orange. The back is black without stripe on the middle of the back. |
| Distribution | Phobobates trivittatus can be found in low land rainforests of Guyana, Surinam, and the Amazon river basin of Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. They can be found between 20 and 680 m elevation. |
| Biotope | In Surinam Mr Woeltjes found this species in tight undergrowth of the forest and almost never in open areas. The males call preferably from places about 50 to 100 cm elevation. During the rainy season they can be found in the vicinity of creeks, especially when they are carrying their larvae. |
| Care and breeding | This species should not be kept in a small vivarium. 60 x 60 x 50 cm is the minimum for a couple. Decorate the vivarium with moist absorbing material on bottom and walls, some pieces of wood and several bromeliads. Day time temperatures of about 25° C and high humidity, changing with the season. Polder (1976) describes the breeding behaviour in captivity. The, about 25 eggs are placed on leaves and hatch after 14 to 17 days. The development of the larvae takes between 41 and 54 days. |
| Foto's | 
The foto's ( with the copyright mark ) published here with the kind permission of www.pumilio.com © |
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