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Ranitomeya lamasi Morales 1992

Call
Distribution: Lowlands to the west of Pucallpa, up to the highlands of the Divisoria near Tingo Maria. Confirmed from elevations up to 650 m, however, most farmers in the Divisoria are familiar with this frog and report its presence up to at least 1500 m. View type locality in Google Maps.
Ecology: This is a small species that prefers to breed in bamboo when available. In bamboo-free areas, and in the lowlands, one can find this species occupying Heliconia and Xanthosoma.
Phylogenetic status: Member of the vanzolinii group, sister to R. biolat.
Conservation status: Highland populations are disturbingly rare and do not seem to be nearly as common as reported in the 1980s and 90s. Smugglers have been hitting these populations hard for several years and appear to have made a significant negative impact on wild populations. Other morphs, such as the lowland 'Panguana' morphs, have been similarly targeted by smugglers. During an expedition to the Cordillera El Sira, we were stunned to learn from locals that not 1 month prior to our arrival, the area had been visited by a group of Europeans buying hundreds of lamasi from the locals at about 5 soles ($1.50) per frog. Those that did not die on their way to Europe have been recently cropping up at frog shows, diminishing greatly the potential for forest conservation projects in these areas.

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