| Smooth oxeye
|
Also known as "Leucs", "Bumblebee Poison Dart Frogs", "Yellow-headed Poison Frogs", and "Yellow-banded Dart Frogs", Dendrobates leucomelas is a diurnal, semi-arboreal species endemic to the northern-most region of Brazil, as well as Colombia, Guyana, and Venezuela. Its species name combines "leuco-" (meaning "white") with "-melas" (meaning black or dark). This misnomer is rumored to have resulted from the white and black appearance of museum specimens which lost their yellow pigmentation when preserved in alcohol, though may also simply refer to the typical pattern of alternating yellow and black bands.
Photo: Dmitry Dubikovskiy
|