Ranitomeya benedicta from type locality, Shucushuyacu, Peru. Photo by Jason Brown.

Distribution

Occurs throughout the Pampas del Sacramento, a lowland plain between the Huallaga and Ucayali rivers in central Peru. This species is most commonly found at elevations around 200 m, although has been found up to ca. 400 m in the Cordillera Azul. View type locality in Google Maps.

Natural history

This species appears to be primarily arboreal, although descends to the forest floor for reproduction. Eggs are deposited in leaf litter and tadpoles are later deposited in large bromeliads or tree-holes. Ranitomeya benedicta is sympatric with R. ventrimaculata and R. imitator in the northern part of its range.

Call recording

Conservation status

Brown et al. (2008) suggest this species be listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the basis of range size, nearby deforestation, and illegal smuggling for the pet trade. This frog appears to be uncommon throughout most of its range. This species has recently been smuggled to Germany.

Notes

Member of the fantastica genetic group, sister to the clade containing R. fantastica and R. summersi. Brown et al. (2008) removed this species from synonymy with R. fantastica on the basis of phylogenetic, morphological, and acoustic data.