Poison dart frog

Poison dart frogs
Red and Blue "Blue Jeans" Dendrobates pumilio Strawberry Poison Dart Frog
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Amphibia Order: Anura Family: Dendrobatidae Cope, 1865
Distribution of Dendrobatidae (in black)

Poison dart frog (also poison arrow frog, dart frog or poison frog) is the common name for the members of four main families of small, diurnal frogs: (1) Dendrobates, (2)Epipedobates,(3) Minyobates and (4) Phyllobates. Poison dart frogs are native to several continents, but primarily to Central and South America. The frogs are widely called poison arrow frogs or poison dart frogs, a generalization reflecting the widespread notion that all poison frogs are used as a source of poison that is put onto arrows or blow-gun darts. In actuality, of over one

• Needs reference : hundred seventy-five species of poison frog, only three are toxic enough to use for this purpose, and none come from the Dendrobatidae family, which is the one most characterized by brilliant coloration and complex patterns .

Toxicology

Poison dart frogs cannot actually manufacture any of the toxic alkaloids they defend themselves with. Alhough they do not have the ability to produce these toxins, they do have a relationship with alkaloid-rich ants and other insects from which they steal potent alkaloids such as pumiliotoxins, one of many varieties of batrachotoxins. In captivity, when the frogs are fed insects such as fruit flies and crickets that do not represent their diet in the wild , and are not rich in the required alkaloids, poison frogs stop producing toxins . In fact, many hobbyists and herpetologists have reported that most dart frogs will not consume any ants in captivity, though ants comprise the larger portion of their diet in the wild. Though all poison frogs lose their toxicity when deprived of certain foods, and captive bred poison frogs (except for one Australian species) are born harmless, a poison frog ,caught in the wild , can retain alkaloids for years. Some poison frogs not only absorb the alkaloids of the ants they consume, but also have the ability to chemically modify these toxins and thus create more toxic variants. For example, while Dendrobates auratus consumes pumiliotoxin 251D and merely stores it, some members of the Dendrobatidae family convert pumiliotoxin 251D to allopumiliotoxin 267A, which is five times more toxic than the original version.

The most toxic of all the poison dart frogs is the Golden Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates terribilis). It is estimated that one frog harbors enough toxin at any given time to kill between 8 and 20 adult humans.

Because they are vile-tasting (how does anyone know this ? ) and usually deadly when ingested, poison frogs have no natural predators, and this is one factor that adds to their popularity as pets.
Since they have no natural predators, the frogs are not bothered at all by the close presence of large animals (how do other animals know they are toxic ??), including humans.

Poison frogs are creatures of great scientific interest to evolutionary biologists. The frog's intriguing ability to resist, store, and manipulate toxins, along with its related role in the food chain, are among the most important discoveries in the study of food-chain evolution. Biologists have speculated that the frogs must have first evolved a resistance to the alkaloids in response to using the ants as a food source. The ability to digest even toxic foods allowed them capitalize on an otherwise-untouched food source, a fairly common event on the evolutionary scale. Once having developed a resistance to such foods over the course of countless generations, any genetic variation that happened to make the ingested poison accumulate closer to the skin's surface would have bestowed a greater advantage with each beneficial mutation. Secreting this new weapon, they would have then evolved their bright colors and adapted to a diurnal schedule in response to the absence of natural predators, and some frogs would go as far as to evolve the ability to manipulate the toxins they consumed, thus increasing their deterrence to predators and their likelihood to survive.

Background

Colostethus flotator in Costa Rica

Many poison dart frogs have brightly colored skin and can be very small, ranging in size from 1 to 6 centimeters in length, depending on the age, sex, and the species of the frog. In size, many species average no larger than a human thumbnail. They come in a variety of colors, but not all species are bright colored. Other animals recognize these brighter colors as a danger sign. Some frogs can have up to 200 micrograms of poison, enough to kill 100 adult humans.

(previous paragraph said could kill 8-20 humans)

Reproduction and Parental Care

In most species, eggs are laid near the forest floor by the female, usually in a sheltered and moist spot. Most species of poison frog reproduce through oviparity, that is, the female lays infertile eggs and the male fertilizes them externally, in the same manner as most fish. Many hobbyists mistakenly conclude that poison frogs are mating, when they are actually engaged in a wrestling match over territory. Once the eggs are laid and fertilized, one parent (generally the male) guards them until they hatch. The newly hatched tadpoles wriggle onto the back of either the male or female parent, who transports them to water, often a small pool or the water trapped in the axil of a Bromeliad plant. Because female poison frogs are both extremely territorial and competitive, a parent must constantly guard its eggs in order to prevent a rival female from devouring them, thus removing future competition from the gene pool.

In some species, the female returns to the tadpoles repeatedly to lay infertile eggs for them to feed upon. In a few species this is the only source of food for the tadpoles until they undergo metamorphosis into sub-adult froglets; these species are called 'obligate egg feeders'. Obligate egg-feeding species can be especially difficult to rear in captivity, but many breeders have had success with other food substitutes such as small fish eggs.

Poison frogs in captivity

Yellow-banded Poison Dart frog Dendrobates leucomelas from Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil

In captivity, poison dart frogs have a lifespan of 5 to 12+ years, but little data exists for wild frogs. Poison dart frogs are commonly bred in captivity to be non-toxic. Most species reach maturity around 1.5 to 2.5 years of age.

The easiest way to determine the sex of a particular species of poison dart frog is by observation in the wild. Mature male frogs will usually make a mating call after eating or after a heavy misting of water. The sound is similar to that of a series of high-pitched "clicks." In juvenile frogs the sex can sometimes be determined by the profile of the amphibian. The backs of males usually slope down with less of a break than females. Females are usually rounder and show a bigger break.

Another simpler way to sex these frogs is by their toes. A female dendrobates will have narrow toes all the way down and a male's toes get very wide at the ends. Mature males also show a small section of grey skin on their neck. This is where the mating call is produced.

In captivity, most species thrive where the humidity is kept constant at 80-100% and where the temperature is around 75-80 F degrees (24-27 °C) during the day and no lower than 60-65 F degrees (16-18 °C) at night.

Color morphs

Juvenile Dendrobates tinctorius "Cobalt"

Some species include a number of sub-species 'morphs'. Different morphs represent geographically separated populations of the same species in the wild, showing different coloration. For example, the species Dendrobates tinctorius includes at least a dozen morphs.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Frost, D. R. 2007. Amphibian Species of the World: an online reference. Version 5.1 (9 October 2007). Electronic Database accessible at [1] American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.Retrieved September 29, 2007.
• Grant, Taran; Frost, Darrel R.; Caldwell, Janalee P.; Gagliardo, Ron; Haddad, Celio F.B.; Kok, Philippe J.R.; Means, D. Bruce; Noonan, Brice P.; Schargel, Walter E. & Wheeler, Ward (2006): Phylogenetic systematics of dart-poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia, Athesphatanura, Dendrobatidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 299: 1-262. PDF fulltext Retrieved September 29, 2007.
• Dumbacher , J. 2004. New Research Shows that Toxic Birds and Poison-dart Frogs Likely Acquire their Toxins from Beetles :Academy Scientist Dr. Jack Dumbacher Finds Elusive Toxin Source in New Guinea.[2]accessed on 10-20-2007
• Patocka ,J., K. Schwanhaeuser Wulff and M. Marini Palomeque. 1999. Dart Poison Frogs and Their Toxins . The ASA Newsletter,ed. R. Price.ISSN 1057-9419.[3]accessed on 10-20-2007

OTHER ARTICLE

COLOR PHOTOS OF POISON DART FROGS AND ARTICLE ON TYPES OF POISON PRODUCEDtc2tc.mojolingo.xuite.net/m2m-0000/waynesword.palomar.edu/dartfrog.htm

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