Riparian Hyloxalus

Los Tayos Rocket Frog (Hyloxalus nexipus) - Cordillera Escalera, Peru

 

This is a great little frog that on first impression the casual observer may not place into the Dendrobatidae family. However this is a close relative of the colorful frogs known as poison dart frogs (more on why that name is not accurate later). This species is tied very closely to streams and rivers flowing through forest, despite having seen many I have yet to observe a single individual more than a few meters away from the flowing waters of a stream/river. The populations of these frogs are quite visible and in certain areas along the river it is possible to see many individual frogs hopping over the rocks near the waters edge. With a little patience its also possible to see them pick a point to call from and defend their territories against other males, attempting to chase or wrestle them away. Unlike many other Hyloxalus these are aposematic and do sequester toxins that make them unpalatable to predators, they are also swift frogs capable of a quickly jumping away and they seem to be strong swimmers when I have seen them fall into the flowing water. A very charismatic frog and one of my favorite dendrobatids here despite how common it is.

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