# Frogs & Toads > Dart Frogs (Dendrobatidae) > General Discussion >  Real or fake?

## Tyler



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## arielgasca420

I stumbled on this one last year while on the internet. There are only a few different shots of this frog. I would believe it, but it looks very rare

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## ejh805

That picture looks photoshopped. So I'd say fake.

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## arielgasca420

woah woah, before we go judging based of this picture which looks to be enhanced, lets take a look at others before jumping to conclusions.

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## ejh805

Performed a quick google search using the info above the picture, and it looks like it's a real species, but the photo is VERY altered.


These were a couple of pictures that came up when "Atelopus varius" was typed in. Chances are that whoever made this picture simply changed the color of where the yellow is into that pinkish hue. Either that or found a real picture and made the colors much stronger/vibrant than they really are.

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## arielgasca420

frog forum isnt working too well for me right now

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## ejh805

These are pictures of Atelopus varius that I pulled off the Smithsonian's webpage on them.

**

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## Brian

Pink/purple seems to exist in froggies. From a few years back: Scientists find 24 new species in Suriname - Technology & science - Science | NBC News

The colour in the one from Facebook may have had the saturation ramped up (and be a different species from the Atelopus above), but if you're viewing pictures likely taken without any regard to colour accuracy on a non-calibrated monitor in a web browser that doesn't recognize colour profiles and have an expectation that what you're looking at actually matches reality, raise your hand :Wink:

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## Lynn

The purple looks scribbled ........on ?


Google Image Result for http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L73HzQl8n4I/TiIKdfZkVaI/AAAAAAAAEBE/UgWkOwRsO54/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-07-16%2Bat%2B3.02.06%2BPM.png


https://twitter.com/EcoInteractive/s...84643944517632

Pictures of poison frogs

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## Alex Shepack

Super duper fake!!! It's modelled after an _Atelopus "barbotini"_ (the taxonomy is a little convoluted, it may be a subspecies of _spumarius_ or _flavescens_ or could be its own species) like the one Ariel put up.  I'm having a hard time finding that image in full size, but I think the entire frog is fabricated.  It looks like a mix between Atelopus and some sort of Dendrobatid. Although it is similar to real frogs, that one is definitely fake and definitely not Atelopus varius.  The pictures Emily posted are the most accurate photos of them.  As a side not though, the text is spot on.  There are only about 40 or so left in the wild in a very small very secluded region of Costa Rica. If you want to see what those individuals look like Google search "Leenders Atelopus varius".

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## Alex Shepack

Just to clarify my earlier statement, Emily's first pictures are _A. varius._ The second set are actually a mixture of species that were found in Panama.  

Cheers,
Alex

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## Brian

> I'm having a hard time finding that image in full size, but I think the entire frog is fabricated.


The image from Facebook is on many websites:

https://www.google.com/search?tbs=sb...SUnkKDF1umrf9Q

Unfortunately none seem to be the original. It does look scribbled on. If photoshopped (and I won't rule this out), they did a pretty good job with the small details. The colouring goes out of focus where it should, and the skins texture is visible where it should be. Not impossible to fake by any means, but not a simple job done in ms paint.

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## Alex Shepack

I agree, that would be very difficult.  

Here is another view from this very forum!
http://www.frogforum.net/tree-frogs/...-wishlist.html

It's a couple images down. 


It is most definitely fake though.  I'm not sure how they did it, but the front view confirms that.  I wonder what the impetus for making that was? 

~Alex

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## ejh805

> I agree, that would be very difficult.  
> 
> Here is another view from this very forum!
> http://www.frogforum.net/tree-frogs/...-wishlist.html
> 
> It's a couple images down. 
> 
> 
> It is most definitely fake though.  I'm not sure how they did it, but the front view confirms that.  I wonder what the impetus for making that was? 
> ...



Oh yeah, that's definitely computer generated lol

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## Brian

> I agree, that would be very difficult.  
> 
> Here is another view from this very forum!
> http://www.frogforum.net/tree-frogs/...-wishlist.html
> 
> It's a couple images down. 
> 
> 
> It is most definitely fake though.  I'm not sure how they did it, but the front view confirms that.  I wonder what the impetus for making that was? 
> ...


that one confirms it, see

3D model: Atelopus frog . $69.95 [buy, download]


gogo gadget google image search

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## Alex Shepack

Eh, truth is cooler than fiction anyway.  Check out the links Lynn provided.  All those _Oophaga_​ are real!!!

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## Brian

> Eh, truth is cooler than fiction anyway.


Agreed. Though in person some of those colourful little frogs look bizarre enough to appear fake... until they start hopping around :Smile: .

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## Tyler

Ok cool!! Thanks guys

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