The nominal morph inhabits much of the Cordillera Oriental and part of the Cordillera Azul in the vicinity of Tarapoto.
Yellow and black morph
This morph can be found in a mountain range southwest of Tarapoto. Females of this morph are thought to have fewer dorsal spots than males. This has yet to be confirmed, but if true it could be another example of sexual selection in dendrobatids.
Chrome-green morph
This morph was found on a 2005 expedition to a locality at about 1100m. The mission nearly ended in bitter defeat after a torturous passage through an overgrown coffee field full with thorns, vines, logs, and strategically placed spear-like sticks that nearly killed a dendrobater. However, after another 5 hours in the rain, and with the help of an extraordinary guide named Junior, we managed to stumble across a few individuals, who proved just as hard to catch as they were to locate. This is one of the most endangered dendrobatids in the area, with nearly all suitable habitat having been converted to cattle pastures.
