About Andinobates fulguritus (Silverstone, 1975)
Andinobates fulguritus (Silverstone, 1975) measures between 13.5–15 mm (0.53–0.59 in) in snout–vent length for males, and between 14–16.5 mm (0.55–0.65 in) for females. Its dorsum is black, marked with gold, yellow, or yellow-green dorso-lateral and lateral stripes; only the dorso-lateral stripes are complete. There is an incomplete median stripe on the anterior section of the dorsum. The venter is gold or yellow, with black marbling or spots. Dorsal skin is slightly granular, while ventral skin is moderately granular. The tympanum is round, with its postero-dorsal portion concealed. The iris is black. Neither fingers nor toes have fringes or webbing. This species’ natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests. In Colombia, it occurs at elevations ranging from 160–900 m (520–2,950 ft) above sea level; populations in Panama may occur at higher elevations. It is a locally common, terrestrial frog. The IUCN Red List classifies this species as Least Concern for extinction. It faces threats from habitat loss, caused by deforestation for human settlement, logging, and illegal farming, as well as pollution from pesticide and fertilizer spraying on illegal crops. There is no evidence this species is collected for the pet trade. Its range includes several protected areas, including but not limited to Parque Nacional Chagres and Area de Manejo Especial Nusagandi. For reproduction, the male identifies a suitable site for egg deposition and leads the female to this site. The male deposits sperm first, after which the female lays her eggs on top of the sperm. Eggs are deposited in leaf litter. The male returns to check on the eggs periodically. Once the eggs hatch, an adult frog carries the tadpoles to leaf axils, most commonly bromeliads, where the tadpoles finish their development with no additional parental care.
