Phantasmal poison frog

The Phantasmal Dart Frog varies in body color, ranging from dark brown to dark red or black. They have two or three bright orange, bright yellow, or even light green longitudinal stripes along their back, ranging from their head to their rear. These can be straight or in a flame-like shape. Their extremities, along with parts of their dorsal surface, have blotches or spots that match the color of their stripes. They also have distinct red or orange spots or markings in their hind areas. They have a snout-to-vent length of about , placing them on the smaller end of poison dart frogs. They have a wide head, truncated snout, and smooth skin. All of their fingers are partially webbed, and their first finger is longer than their second. The dorsal surface is usually green or yellow and there are longitudinal stripes. ==Distribution and habitat==

The phantasmal poison frog is known only from a number of locations in central Ecuador on the Andean slopes of Bolívar Province, at heights of between above sea level. The species inhabits the Chocoan tropical and subtropical rain forest in Ecuador. Its natural habitat is in the leaf litter on the floor of the tropical forest, especially near streams, and in inland wetlands. They are also found in banana and cacao plantations, and pastures near streams. Its habitat is very similar to other species of the poison dart frog family such as the dyeing dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) and the green-and-black dart frog (Dendrobates auratus). ==Biology==

. Reproductive behavior and parental care: The eggs are laid in leaf litter, and the clutch sizes are around 10 eggs. The males stand guard for the eggs and later in their development carry the tadpoles on their back to bodies of water, which provides a safe haven for the tadpoles to develop. Behavior: The Phantasmal Dart Frog is diurnal. While many of the poisons from the Epipedobates clade of poison frogs is exogenous, as they metabolize certain alkaloids found in their prey, research has not concluded if this applies to E. Tricolor. Close relatives: Phantasmal poison frogs live in similar areas to Epipedobates machalilla, despite the fact that the two to occupy slightly different environmental niches. Both of their population distributions are small, causing overlap with that of E. machalilla. Genetic analysis places phantasmal poison frog clades within E. machalilla clades and suggests that the phantasmal poison frog diverged recently via either peripheral speciation or high phenotypic divergence == Diet ==

The phantasmal poison frog's diet is based on the consumption of insects. In their habitat in the Andes mountains, their diet consists of insects includes ants, termites, and beetles. ==Status==

The phantasmal poison frog is listed as "vulnerable" by the IUCN. This is because of its limited range, estimated to be less than and the apparent decline in numbers of this species. Epibatidine is a toxin of pharmacological interest due to its medicinal value as a painkiller and opioid blocker. It has been studied to be over two-hundred times as powerful as morphine. The IUCN has noted that over-harvesting of the frog for medicinal research could pose a risk for the species. ==References==