Habitat

Cloud Forest

Walking through a cloud forest is a memorable experience. Trees are dwarfed and epiphyte laden, moss hangs from every surface, and the perpetual cloudiness gives the landscape an otherworldly feeling. Cloud forest usually starts at around 1500 meters above sea level, though this depends also on rainfall. Very wet areas, such as the dividing range in Panama, can see cloud forest as low as 1000 m. Despite the abundant bromeliads, dendrobatids are usually absent from such high altitudes. There are, however, exceptions, such as Dendrobates arboreus from a relatively low cloud forest (1200 m) in Panama, Epipedobates silverstonei from Central Peru (1500 m), and the newly described Dendrobates daleswansoni from the Cordillera Central of Colombia (1900 m).