Chunky False Brook Salamander vs Common Poison-arrow Frog

Aquiloeurycea cephalica compared with Oophaga histrionica

Key Differences

• Chunky False Brook Salamander is Least Concern while Common Poison-arrow Frog is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chunky False Brook Salamander	Common Poison-arrow Frog
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Amphibia (Amphibians)
Order	Caudata (Caudata)	Anura (Frogs & Toads)
Family	Plethodontidae	Dendrobatidae (Poison Dart Frogs)
Genus	Aquiloeurycea	Oophaga
Species	Aquiloeurycea cephalica	Oophaga histrionica

Evolutionary Relationship

Chunky False Brook Salamander and Common Poison-arrow Frog share a common ancestor at the Class level: Amphibia. (Amphibians)

Conservation Status

Chunky False Brook Salamander

LC — Least Concern

Common Poison-arrow Frog

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chunky False Brook Salamander	Common Poison-arrow Frog
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chunky False Brook Salamander

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in Mexico.

Common Poison-arrow Frog

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Colombia. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Chunky False Brook Salamander

The Chunky False Brook Salamander (Aquiloeurycea cephalica) is a Least Concern plethodontid salamander endemic to Mexico, found in cloud forest and humid montane habitats in the Sierra Madre Oriental and related mountain ranges. The genus Aquiloeurycea is a recently erected Mexican endemic genus segregated from the broader genus Pseudoeurycea, comprising several small, robustly built (hence 'chunky') salamanders associated with high-elevation forests. Like all plethodontids, A. cephalica is a lungless salamander that breathes entirely through its moist, vascularized skin and the lining of its mouth. It is a direct developer, skipping the aquatic larval stage entirely and laying eggs in terrestrial microhabitats such as rotting logs, leaf litter, and soil. A. cephalica inhabits cool, humid forests of pine-oak and cloud forest zones in northern Mexico, where it forages for small invertebrates in the leaf litter and soil. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern due to its reasonably wide distribution within its montane range. Deforestation, cattle grazing, and the conversion of cloud forest to agriculture represent ongoing threats to populations throughout its range.

Common Poison-arrow Frog

<em>Oophaga histrionica</em>, the common poison arrow frog, is a small, brilliantly coloured dendrobatid frog in the family Dendrobatidae, endemic to the lowland and foothill rainforests of Colombia. Like other members of the genus Oophaga, it is aposematically coloured, displaying vivid patterns of red, yellow, black, and white that warn predators of its potent skin toxins, which are derived from the arthropods in its diet. The species is typically terrestrial and diurnal, inhabiting the leaf litter and low vegetation of humid tropical forests where males call to attract females and defend territories. Parental care is well developed, with females transporting tadpoles on their backs to water-filled bromeliads and subsequently feeding them with unfertilised trophic eggs. <em>Oophaga histrionica</em> is assessed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, reflecting severe population declines driven by extensive deforestation, agricultural expansion, and collection for the international pet trade within its restricted Colombian range. Biological traits such as average adult lifespan, precise body dimensions, and detailed dietary composition across its range remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Conservation measures include habitat protection and captive breeding programmes.