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Marbled poison frog

species of amphibian

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionMar 26, 2026
Entity authorityQ1346446 ↗
Source-derived summary

The marbled poison frog or marbled poison-arrow frog (Epipedobates boulengeri) is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae found in western Colombia (Cauca, Nariño, Valle del Cauca Departments, including Gorgona Island) and northwestern Ecuador, at elevations of 10–1,500 m (33–4,921 ft) asl. It likely represents a species complex of at least two species.

Description

Males measure 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) and females 17–21 mm (0.67–0.83 in) in snout–vent length. Colouration is variable; dorsum is dark reddish to uniform dark brown, sides are black. There is a pale yellowish or creamy white lateral line and cream-coloured dorsolateral line. Iris is dark coppery black.

Diet

Diet is varied and includes mites, ants, coleopterans, dipterans, homopterans, and colembolas.

Habitat and conservation

Its natural habitats are dense moist tropical rainforests as well as altered habitats like gardens and railway tunnels.

The frog's known range includes many protected parks: Reserva Ecológica Cayapas-Mataje, Parque Nacional Mache Chindul, Reserva Ecológica Cotacachi-Cayapas, Reserva Ecológica Los Illinizas, Parque Natural Isla Gorgona, Reserva Natural Biotopo, and Reserva Natural Indígena La Nutria.

Threats

The IUCN classifies this frog as least concern of extinction.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Marbled poison frog” as species of amphibian. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA sound reference starting point where classification, measurement and the date of the underlying evidence remain visible. The current 183-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Marbled, poison and frog can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as species of amphibian. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1346446. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.

Critical limits

Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

Best used for
  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Marbled poison frog”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Marbled poison frog primary sources, Marbled poison frog archive and Marbled research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Marbled poison frog”?
  2. Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
  3. Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Marbled poison frog” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.