Adelphobates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Adelphobates |
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| Adelphobates castaneoticus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Dendrobatidae |
| Subfamily: | Dendrobatinae |
| Genus: | Adelphobates Grant et al., 2006 |
| Type species | |
| Adelphobates castaneoticus (Caldwell and Myers, 1990)
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| Species | |
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3 species (see text) |
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Adelphobates is a small group of amazing poison dart frogs. You can find them in the central and lower Amazon basin in Peru and Brazil. They might even live in Bolivia! Scientists first thought these frogs were a "sister group" to other frog groups like Dendrobates and Oophaga. This means they are closely related.
Some scientists are still discussing if Adelphobates should be its own group. They think it might be a special part of the Dendrobates group instead. One frog, once called Adelphobates captivus, was moved to a different group called Excidobates in 2008.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Adelphobates comes from Ancient Greek words. Adelphos means "brother" or "twin." Bates means "walker" or "climber." So, Adelphobates means "brother walkers."
This name honors two scientists, Charles W. Myers and John W. Daly. Even though they weren't related, they worked together. They studied these special frogs a lot.
Life as an Adelphobates Frog
All Adelphobates frogs are super colorful and easy to spot. They have smooth skin that looks shiny. A cool thing about how they have babies is unique. The frog parents carry their tadpoles to Brazil nut shells. These shells are often lying on the forest floor.
Sometimes, more than one tadpole might end up in the same shell. If this happens, the bigger tadpole might eat the smaller one. This is a type of cannibalism in the frog world.
Why Are They Called Poison Frogs?
All poison dart frogs, including Adelphobates, are toxic. This means they have special chemicals in their skin that can be harmful. These chemicals protect them from animals that might want to eat them. If an animal tries to eat one, it will get sick.
Adelphobates frogs have a chemical called Pumiliotoxin 251D. This chemical can change into another one called Allopumiliotoxin 267A. The second chemical is much stronger. It helps keep predators away.
Meet the Species
There are three known types of Adelphobates frogs. Each one is special!
- Adelphobates castaneoticus: This frog is also known as the Brazil-nut poison frog. You can find it in the state of Pará in Brazil.
- Adelphobates galactonotus: People call this one the splash-backed poison frog. It lives in the southern Amazon Basin in Brazil.
- Adelphobates quinquevittatus: This frog is known as the Amazonian poison frog. It lives in the southern Amazon Basin in Brazil and Bolivia.
Images for kids
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A close-up of the Adelphobates castaneoticus frog.
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The Adelphobates galactonotus frog.
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The Adelphobates quinquevittatus frog.
See also
In Spanish: Adelphobates para niños
