dendrobatid frog weighing about 3 grams and having a length ranging from 3 to 4.5 cm. is brightly colored, and this coloration serves as a warning to would-be predators of its poisonous properties. In fact, its skin is covered with a myriad of glands that secrete alkaloid poisons capable of paralyzing, even killing predators. The coloration of is an azure-blue hue on the limbs, a sky-blue on its dorsal surface, and a darker blue on its ventral surface. An irregular pattern of dark blue and black spots of various sizes cover this background coloration with the majority of the spotting located on its back as well as head. The pattern of spots is unique to each frog and thus serves as a "fingerprint" to differentiate between individuals. Sometimes, the ventral surface of the body has a dark blue or black midbelly stripe. Its skin is generally smooth, but often portions of the posterior ventral surface and thighs have a granular texture. has four toes per foot; each of which has a wide, flattened tip and a suction cup pad used to help it grip in the slippery environment it inhabits. This species is also characterized by its hunch-backed posture. (Durrell, 2001; Goin, et al., 1978; Hamlett, 2002; "Blue Poison Dart Frog", 2002; Sandmeier, 2003; Silverstone, 1975)is a mid-sized
Males and females are quite similar in appearance. However, the female is slightly larger and more plump than the male, with her average body length about 4.5 cm and his only 4 cm. Males have larger toe-tips, specifically those on the second, third, and fourth digits. In addition, these toe-tips are heart-shaped in males and round in females. On the other hand, the young of (Blake and Sherriff, 2003; Durrell, 2001; Silverstone, 1975)are much different from the adults. The tadpole larvae are characterized by a long tail used for locomotion in their free-swimming existence. The tadpoles have a head-body and on average are approximately 10 mm in length, 6 mm of which is made up by the tail. The young also lack legs and breathe by means of gills instead of lungs.
The size of the home range foris unknown.
Little is known about the communication behaviors of (Durrell, 2001). However, during mating, males emit a series of soft calls to attract females. is capable of communicating by means of producing quiet calls, but the extent to which these are used in intraspecies communication is unknown. In addition to sound perception, this species perceives the surrounding environment both visually and with its sense of smell.
ants, beetles, flies, mites, spiders, termites, maggots, and caterpillars. In captivity, its diet consists primarily of crickets and fruit flies. Interestingly, the toxic compounds (poisons) in the skin of , known as lipophilic alkaloids, are found in high percentages within its prey, especially in ants. Thus, upon eating prey, the compounds are absorbed into the skin of the frog providing it with a defense mechanism. In captivity, this species loses its poisonous properties due to the lack of toxic compounds within the food it is fed. Tadpoles feed on unfertilized eggs provided by their mother. (Cloudsley-Thompson, 1999; "Blue Poison Arrow Frog", 2000; Durrell, 2001)is an insectivore, but also eats non-insect arthropods as well. Its diet consists of
The role of (Durrell, 2001)in the ecosystem in which it lives is as a predator of spiders, flies, ants, termites, caterpillars, mites, and beetles.
Phyllobates). The species itself is being researched as well to give scientists a better understanding of its life habits, especially in the wild. ("Amphibians (Blue Dart Frogs)", 2003; Frazer, 1973; Hamlett, 2002; "Poison-Arrow Frog", 2003)plays an important role in the rainforest ecosystem as a predator of small arthropods. Without this contribution, no matter how miniscule it may be, drastic changes in the food web could result. More recently, has become quite a commodity worldwide in the pet trade. Their popularity is so great that many people are willing to pay around 75 dollars for one individual. In addition, the toxins of are being studied by scientists for possible pharmaceutical uses (like the painkiller epibatidine, found in dart frogs of the genus
As a result of these pressures, much is currently being done to conserve the species. Captive breeding programs have sprung up in zoos and among private enthusiasts across the United States in attempts to conserve this rare species, while scientists, in hopes of obtaining a better understanding of these frogs, have conducted research expeditions in Suriname. For instance, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, in conjunction with the Suriname Forest Service, Conservation International Suriname, and the National Aquarium in Baltimore, has created a captive breeding program with the hopes of increasing ("Suriname Conservation Projects", 2003; Durrell, 2001; "Blue poison dart frog", 2003)numbers. The National Aquarium in Baltimore was actually the first institution in the United States to breed and has continued doing so ever since. In England, Durrell Wildlife has successfully bred this species since 1995 and has also distributed these frogs to other zoos around the world. Other efforts are being made to reintroduce these frogs into native areas where they have been completely decimated and to educate those individuals who collect the frogs to help ensure the survival of the species. Hopefully, through these efforts, will be ensured preservation indefinitely.
David Armitage (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
James Brown (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Phil Myers (editor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America.
uses sound to communicate
having coloration that serves a protective function for the animal, usually used to refer to animals with colors that warn predators of their toxicity. For example: animals with bright red or yellow coloration are often toxic or distasteful.
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
an animal that mainly eats meat
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature
fertilization takes place outside the female's body
union of egg and spermatozoan
having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature.
An animal that eats mainly insects or spiders.
A large change in the shape or structure of an animal that happens as the animal grows. In insects, "incomplete metamorphosis" is when young animals are similar to adults and change gradually into the adult form, and "complete metamorphosis" is when there is a profound change between larval and adult forms. Butterflies have complete metamorphosis, grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis.
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets.
an animal which has a substance capable of killing, injuring, or impairing other animals through its chemical action (for example, the skin of poison dart frogs).
rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.
breeding is confined to a particular season
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
uses touch to communicate
Living on the ground.
defends an area within the home range, occupied by a single animals or group of animals of the same species and held through overt defense, display, or advertisement
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
uses sight to communicate
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Summers, K. 1990. Paternal care and the cost of polygyny in the green dart-poison frog Dendrobates auratus. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 27: 307-313.