The Aromobatidae are a family of
frogs native to
Central and
South America.[2][3][4] They are sometimes referred to as cryptic forest frogs or cryptic poison frogs.[2] They are the
sister taxon of the
Dendrobatidae, the poison dart frogs, but are not as toxic as most dendrobatids are.[1][4]
Taxonomy
The Aromobatidae were separated from the Dendrobatidae only in 2006,[1] and some sources continue to treat these frogs as part of the Dendrobatidae.[5] However, their position as the
sister taxa is well supported, and the question is primarily about whether they should be ranked as a family or a subfamily.[3]
The validity of subfamilies within the Aromobatidae is also unsettled. Some evidence points to
paraphyly of at least the subfamily Anomaloglossinae, and genus Allobates, largely because of the uncertain placement of Allobates olfersioides.[2][3]
Some species are reported to have a skunk like odor. This strong odor is secreted through the skin but theses frogs are not toxic. This strong odor is used as a defense mechanism against predators.[5]
Reproduction
Many aromobatids deposit small clutches of eggs in terrestrial nests. After hatching, one of the parents transports the
tadpoles to a small water body, where they complete their development to metamorphosis.[4]
^
abcdVitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. pp. 486–488.
^
ab"Dendrobatidae". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
^Frost, Darrel R. (2019).
""Prostherapis" dunni Rivero, 1961". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 19 December 2019.