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Dendrobates auratus
Habitat/Range: They live on the rainforest floor. They are found close to streams or ponds. They are mainly found in Central and South America. They range from Nicaragua to Costa Rica to Southeastern Brazil and Boliva. There is an introduced population that lives in Hawaii.
Diet: They eat small invertebrates such as ants.
Reproduction: These frogs are polygamous. In order to attract a mate, the male frogs will go through a very elaborate ritual. The males fight among each other in order to establish territories. Then they will attract a mate using different vocalizations. After the ritual is done, the female will lay up to 6 eggs into a body of water. The eggs are encased in a gelatin like substance to protect them. The breeding season happens during the rainy season which occurs from mid-July to mid-September. It takes about two weeks for the eggs to develop and during this time the male will return to the eggs to check on them. After hatching the tadpoles will climb onto the male’s back and they are carried to a lake or stream. The tadpoles are attached to the male using a mucus secretion that is only soluble in water. Once in a new body of water it takes the tadpoles about 6 weeks to develop into an adult.
Physical Description: There are different varieties of color of Dendrobates auratus. They range from black with either green or light blue with black bands or spots. The population in Hawaii tends to be a metallic green or a brownish black. Full grown they are about 4 cm long. Their body is a fused head with a trunk and they do not have a tail. When they are tadpoles they used their gills to breathe; however, once they are an adult they will use their lungs to breathe. During the tad pole stage they lack legs. These frogs have poison glands over the surface of their body.
Behavior: These are diurnal frogs that are constantly moving during the day. They are always looking for food and taking care of the young. They move by hopping. Their coloration is there to warn predators of their poison.
Conservation Status: Threatened
Fun Facts:
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By consuming ants, the frog will acquire alkaloids in their tissue, making them poisonous. |
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Frogs kept in captivity tend not to be fed alkaloids and therefore are not poisonous. |
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They catch their prey using eyesight and a long, sticky, retractable tongue. |
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