Purple Harlequin Toad For Sale

Atelopus barbotini, popularly known as the purple fluorescent frog or more accurately the purple harlequin toad for sale, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae.

General Information of Purple Harlequin Toad For Sale

The toad was formerly considered part of the Atelopus spumarius. It is not clear whether or not it is a single species or a group of related species. In the past the species has also been called Atelopus flavescens.

Several publications have touched on the subject of Atelopus barbotini. In 2005 Noonan and Gaucher wrote in Molecular Ecology that there was evidence that Atelopus barbotini might not be conspecific with Atelopus spumarius. They didn’t make a change to the taxology of the species though. In 2011 Lötters, van der Meijden, et al. argued that Atelopus barbotini and Atelopus spumarius were not conspecific, but that Atelopus flavescens may be conspecific with Atelopus barbotini.

Size of Purple Harlequin Toad For Sale

Atelopus barbotini are a smaller species of toad only reaching approximately 2.5cm for males and 3.5cm for females as adults.

Range

It is endemic to the uplands of central French Guiana.

Reasons for Decline in Population

Deforestation and disease are the main causes for population decline in recent years. Because French Guiana has few laws and restrictions for logging, there are often issues with sustaining enough range for the toads to maintain a steady population.

In some places, harlequin toads have been imbued with tremendous cultural value. In Panama, the striking Panamanian Golden Toad (Atelopus zeteki) is the national animal, found on lottery tickets and artwork in markets, and celebrated once a year through a government decree that declared Panamanian Golden Toad Day every Aug. 14.

Harlequin toads also have cultural significance for some Indigenous communities, including those in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, who consider frogs to be a symbol of fertility and ecosystem health. Outside of these examples, however, harlequin toads receive little public attention but are among the most imperiled species in the world. more in the English or Spanish version of our Harlequin Toad Fact Sheet.