# ID this Dart! (Probably Pumilio)



## Phyllobates azureus

There is a dart image website called Dendrobatenwelt.de filled with spectacular images of darts of all kinds. Normally their identification skills are quite good, but in this case I'm suspecting a misidentification. This bright yellow dart was identified as an auratus, but from all of the sources that I can find there don't appear to be any solidly coloured D. auratus. Furthermore, the overall shape looks a little odd. My first guess was a pumilio, but looking at it more closely the snout appears a little on the blunt side. That said, it has discernable toe pads which rules out terribilis... Personally, pumilio is my best guess, probably something along the lines of El Dorado or a similar morph.

Any other ideas?

Pictures:


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## Julio

golden auratus


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## Phyllobates azureus

Julio said:


> golden auratus


Golden auratus? Interesting that Amphibiaweb, Arkive, and lots of breeders don't so much as give it a mention on their websites. Is it it in the hobby? 
Beautiful frog, by the way.


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## Julio

i personally never took any interests in them, Sean Stewart breeds them and has them available, so they are available just not much interest.


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## Djturna4thakidz

Beautiful frog!


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## Dendro Dave

Djturna4thakidz said:


> Beautiful frog!


Go buy some, help keep em going in the hobby!  ...Not my cup of tea either, but I don't wanna see any frog we currently have access to go away 

Luckily I like some of the less popular species like triv and aurotaenia...hopefully barring another weather catastrophe like that ice storm, I'll be able to give some back to the hobby finally. I did put a few darklands out there though...I'm proud of that at least


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## Daleo

Julio said:


> i personally never took any interests in them, Sean Stewart breeds them and has them available, so they are available just not much interest.


I like them!! Never even knew they existed! Guess I have to setup another tank 

EDIT: Yikes, $250 each. :/


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## Phyllobates azureus

Daleo said:


> $250 each.


Well it's not uncommon for some of the more exotic reptiles and amphibians to demand large sums of money. In fact my friend claims to have seen yellow truncatus being sold for $210 each.


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## Daleo

Phyllobates azureus said:


> Well it's not uncommon for some of the more exotic reptiles and amphibians to demand large sums of money. In fact my friend claims to have seen yellow truncatus being sold for $210 each.


I understand that. I just didn't expect them to be that much for them being not so popular.


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## frograck

I think their popularity has a lot to do with their limited availability. Seam has the only line I know about in the u.s. and those frogs came from Europe.


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## Gamble

Julio said:


> i personally never took any interests in them, Sean Stewart breeds them and has them available, so they are available just not much interest.


There is a LONG waiting list for them.


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## whitethumb

sounds like some other frogs he has 



Gamble said:


> There is a LONG waiting list for them.


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## Dendro Dave

Phyllobates azureus said:


> Well it's not uncommon for some of the more exotic reptiles and amphibians to demand large sums of money. In fact my friend claims to have seen yellow truncatus being sold for $210 each.


Dang for a yellow? Was it one of the understory frogs? Those tend to be pretty pricey but they are recouping the costs and building a future for the frogs and people in the region with that money (I hope)

Blue trunc used to be pretty pricey but finally when a few started showing up I guess not many people wanted them because I think they were selling for well under 100 each, and that is a fairly rare frog. I wanted them but was to broke...If some would have popped up for sale this month I probably would have got those over some of the stuff I did get.


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## Ed

Phyllobates azureus said:


> Golden auratus? Interesting that Amphibiaweb, Arkive, and lots of breeders don't so much as give it a mention on their websites. Is it it in the hobby?
> Beautiful frog, by the way.


 
Dendrobates auratus = gold tree walker...... (the Latin word *auratus* (gilded, overlaid, adorned with gold)) 

Until I found out about these I always wondered why a frog that is primarily some variation of green/black/brown/blue/greyish was named after gold.... 

Some comments 

Ed


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## Phyllobates azureus

Dendro Dave said:


> Dang for a yellow? Was it one of the understory frogs? Those tend to be pretty pricey but they are recouping the costs and building a future for the frogs and people in the region with that money (I hope)
> 
> Blue trunc used to be pretty pricey but finally when a few started showing up I guess not many people wanted them because I think they were selling for well under 100 each, and that is a fairly rare frog. I wanted them but was to broke...If some would have popped up for sale this month I probably would have got those over some of the stuff I did get.


Yes, he said they were from Understory. Understory does charge a fair amount of money for their frogs, but IME it's worth it; they usually give good, healthy frogs.


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## epiphytes etc.

Ed said:


> Dendrobates auratus = gold tree walker...... (the Latin word *auratus* (gilded, overlaid, adorned with gold))
> 
> Until I found out about these I always wondered why a frog that is primarily some variation of green/black/brown/blue/greyish was named after gold....
> 
> Some comments
> 
> Ed


Well, on a similar note, Why is a yellow and black frog called leucomelas?


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## phender

epiphytes etc. said:


> Well, on a similar note, Why is a yellow and black frog called leucomelas?


Maybe they were described(named) based on preserved specimens and looked like they might have been white and black in life. Just a guess.


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## Dendro Dave

Phyllobates azureus said:


> Yes, he said they were from Understory. Understory does charge a fair amount of money for their frogs, but IME it's worth it; they usually give good, healthy frogs.


Ok that is what I hoped, because those are their project frogs they always sell high to recoup costs and run their work in S. America...so now it makes sense.

Ya I don't mind paying more from them for those reasons...when I can afford it. I bought black bassleri in first shipments, so I paid quite a bit more then they sell for now, and that was ok. Great frogs...wish more were around, and people appreciated them more. Pics don't do em justice!!!


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## Phyllobates azureus

Dendro Dave said:


> Ok that is what I hoped, because those are their project frogs they always sell high to recoup costs and run their work in S. America...so now it makes sense.
> 
> Ya I don't mind paying more from them for those reasons...when I can afford it. I bought black bassleri in first shipments, so I paid quite a bit more then they sell for now, and that was ok. Great frogs...wish more were around, and people appreciated them more. Pics don't do em justice!!!


Black bassleri are pretty impressive. Chrome bassleri are still my favourites, though (definitely a future addition to my collection once I have my own house). Pics often don't do justice: it's hard to capture things like iridescence, the metallic "shine" that you get on most darts, and just the beauty of a real, living creature.


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## Dendro Dave

Phyllobates azureus said:


> Black bassleri are pretty impressive. Chrome bassleri are still my favourites, though (definitely a future addition to my collection once I have my own house). Pics often don't do justice: it's hard to capture things like iridescence, the metallic "shine" that you get on most darts, and just the beauty of a real, living creature.


Yep, I'm pretty much committed to a group of sisa...and then that will be my last frog purchase for awhile probably 

And your right that stuff just doesn't show up on camera usually...and makes all the difference.


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## Dendroguy

Phyllobates azureus said:


> Well it's not uncommon for some of the more exotic reptiles and amphibians to demand large sums of money. In fact my friend claims to have seen yellow truncatus being sold for $210 each.


$2000 Oophaga sylvatica 'Koi' 

D


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## Dendro Dave

Dendroguy said:


> $2000 Oophaga sylvatica 'Koi'
> 
> D


Sweet frog, one of my favs...but way way out of my price range


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## VenomR00

Dendroguy said:


> $2000 Oophaga sylvatica 'Koi'
> 
> D


Well depends on who you know, and how much they like you. Might be able to get a Koi for 1500 but 2000 seems about right


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## tclipse

Didn't Stewart's golden auratus have some lavender-ish markings? I saw them a few years ago several times and seem to remember that.


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## cbreon

Phyllobates azureus said:


> Yes, he said they were from Understory. Understory does charge a fair amount of money for their frogs, but IME it's worth it; they usually give good, healthy frogs.


That being said, I thought the UE Nilo truncatus were selling for $75/per which is pretty reasonable all things considered.


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## Dendro Dave

cbreon said:


> That being said, I thought the UE Nilo truncatus were selling for $75/per which is pretty reasonable all things considered.


Were they? ...Sounds reasonable to me.


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## tclipse

Found one that looks more like Stewart's (IIRC):










If I remember right those lavender markings on the legs were spread over more of the body and were more visible in person. I could be wrong but I did see them in person three times, albeit a few years back. I can't really speak to the variability obviously, so I'd have no idea if Stewart's are the same locale as the OP's pic.

Another:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a336/gtpman4/GOLDAURATUS_1.jpg


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## Colin C

These have always interested me and I have often wondered why there is not more interest in them. According to a Leaf Litter article, the only information regarding their locality is that they were collected in the “Darien Region” which may explain why there have been few exports.


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