# ID by description???



## boabab95 (Nov 5, 2009)

so, while talking to someone on facebook, they said while in Puerto Rico, a PDF jumped on him, so he asked if I knew what it was... I tried showing him, Tincs (cobalts, BYH, etc...) but he said it wasn't it...


Here's HIS description:
Yellow was behind the back legs, around the stomach, and on the face.

Blue was above the stomach, towards the butt and on the back...







Any Ideas???


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## Jason DeSantis (Feb 2, 2006)

You know there was a long debate about this a few months back. Someone local in Puerto Rico said that dart frogs live on the island but I have never saw any info on this before. A lot of others said it could not happen. Well I found this Amphibians - Strawberry Poison Dart Frog + but dont know how accurate it is.
J


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## Jason DeSantis (Feb 2, 2006)

Oh and I am not saying that it is some type of dart your friend saw. I found the article on the location of pumilio and thought it was interesting.
J


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## boabab95 (Nov 5, 2009)

Thanks... I decided to show him different pics of tincs, and he said yes to brazilian yellow heads?!?!?!? But their BRAZILIAN, is it possible to have them in puerto rico?????? He doesn't really know much about PDF's so I think he might be a bit confused...


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## Jason DeSantis (Feb 2, 2006)

Yeah you never know? It is a tropical climate and all it takes is for someone to release a few in the wild. Look at florida, they have dart frogs, boas, geckos, red eye tree frogs and all kinds of animals that were released and now live happily there. Who knows?? I did find a couple other online articles saying dart frogs are from Puerto Rico.
J


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## nathan (Jul 24, 2009)

This is interesting. Ill be in San Juan in may maybe Ill be able to spot some . . .


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## edwardsatc (Feb 17, 2004)

Jason DeSantis said:


> You know there was a long debate about this a few months back. Someone local in Puerto Rico said that dart frogs live on the island but I have never saw any info on this before. A lot of others said it could not happen. Well I found this Amphibians - Strawberry Poison Dart Frog + but dont know how accurate it is.
> J


I've done a good bit of research at El Verde Field Station, El Yunque National Forest, and surrounding areas. I know most of the herp researchers on the east end of the island. None I've talked to have ever seen or heard reports of any dendrobates.

Not saying that there haven't been any releases, just that there have been any credible reports.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Invasives are kinda a hobby of mine....

Florida has never had an established dendrobatid. I don't think there is even a voucher for a single found specimen either. The climate in Florida is more desert then rainforest. Dart frogs will not survive in florida unless in a greenhouse setting.

Now Puerto Rica is another matter....there are state protected lands that are more rainforest like and suitable for dart frogs. I have heard rumours of established pumilio in PR.


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## JeremyHuff (Apr 22, 2008)

Check my friend's site Father Sanchez's Web Site of West Indian Natural History for native frog images


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

JeremyHuff said:


> Check my friend's site Father Sanchez's Web Site of West Indian Natural History for native frog images


Awesome site for PR frogs !

He would be THE man to ask about invasive dart frogs on that island.


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## edwardsatc (Feb 17, 2004)

Philsuma said:


> Now Puerto Rica is another matter....there are state protected lands that are more rainforest like and suitable for dart frogs. I have heard rumours of established pumilio in PR.


Yeah, most of the land that would be suitable is on the eastern end of the island, in and around El Yunque NF, especially in the higher elevations (up to 1000m) where temps are a bit cooler. If they've been released there, it is quite possible that they would acclimate to conditions. Whether they could compete with the millions of coqui is another story. 

I've spent alot of time in those forests and cloud forests. The terrain is challenging and much of the forest is rarely traversed.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

In those remote forests lives......el Chupacabra


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## edwardsatc (Feb 17, 2004)

Philsuma said:


> In those remote forests lives......el Chupacabra


Most of the research I most recently worked on was at night. So the thought ran through my mind 

On a related note:

After a hard night in the cloud forest, one of our crews was walking back to the field station with headlamps on - some locals thought they were aliens and ran like hell. It was the talk of the local bar the next day.


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## JeremyHuff (Apr 22, 2008)

At least they ran. I was UV lighting for scorpions and was shot at!


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## edwardsatc (Feb 17, 2004)

JeremyHuff said:


> At least they ran. I was UV lighting for scorpions and was shot at!


I'll have to remember that next time I'm out with the UV. Some of these ole Texans out here will shoot at just about anything ...


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