With over 1.4 million species on the world, I find that the Dendrobates tinctorius stands out above the rest. These dart frogs could reach sizes of forty to fifty millimeters and the females up to sixty millimeters. And with a surface of bright blue and two broad yellow stripes on its back, this is a very colorful frog, not to mention it’s legs could be black or deep blue. This magnificent animal has great adaptation such as its colors to blend in with the colorful jungle and it camouflages great with the jungle night. You can tell if you see a Dendrobates tinctorius because the male frogs larger finger disks than the females and a straighter cut along the tips. Also and the posterior is about half a diameter from the eye.

 

Their niche is usually a humid, wet habitat and they are commonly found on thick vines. They do extensively well in their home because their skin is not waxy enough to sustain dry air. And they are primarily found in Central and South America and are also found in Bolivia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guyana, Peru, Panama, and Nicaragua.

 

Right now their species are doing great. According to Wikipedia, their group is one of the least concerned animals. And they are still growing. Mostly because when they mate and when the female has her offspring, she carries them on her back.

 

 These frogs diet consist of insects such as ants and flies. Dendrobates compete with any animal that are also insectivores. Without them, there would be many bugs that carry diseases so they are like the arachnids.

 

But every predator is a prey. These animals are hunted by snakes that can cope with venom. Dendrobates are great at being avoided because of their fantastic camouflage and speed.

 

There are also many interesting facts about this amazing frog that I never knew. Like that their poison, could in the future, be used as antibiotic. Also that if one plucks out a feather from a chicken or a parrot and puts it’s skin with the secretion of the frog it will grow very colorful new feathers.

 

Author: Vivian Y

Published: 2/2010

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrobates_tinctorius

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dendrobates_tinctorius.html

http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Dendrobates&where-species=tinctorius

 

Photo Credit:

Olaf Leillinger, 2006