Blue Poison Dart frogCharacteristics
The blue poison dart frog is easily recognized by its blue colour, which is generally darker on the limbs and belly and overlaid with black spots or patches, especially on the head and back. Adults are about 2 inches long and weigh about 0.3 ounces. The male blue poison dart frog has obviously widened finger discs compared to the female. |
Habitat
The blue poison dart frog is found in a few isolated “rain forest islands” in the Sipaliwine
savannah of southern Suriname. These old forests are relatively cool,
and humid with running rocky streams.
Predators
Adult dart frogs have few predators, but the tadpoles, which contain no toxins, often fall prey to other amphibians, reptiles and predatory invertebrates.
Diet
The blue poison dart frog diet includes:
- ants (source of its skin toxins),
- termites,
- tiny beetles,
- any other small insect it may find among the leaf litter
Reproduction
Blue poison dart frogs are relatively easy to breed. Males are quiet callers from a position in the leaves or on a rock. Females are attracted to the calland
draw the male’s attention by stroking his snout andback in a typical poison frog courtship sequence. The female follows the male back to a hidden spot to lay a small clutch of 2-6 eggs that are tended by the male and probably by the female in some instances. Hatching takes place in about 14-18 days. Both parents have been found carrying tadpoles to a rocky streamsuitable for their further development. Once at their final destination, the tadpoles are on their own. It will take another 6 weeks to reach adulthood.
The blue poison dart frog is found in a few isolated “rain forest islands” in the Sipaliwine
savannah of southern Suriname. These old forests are relatively cool,
and humid with running rocky streams.
Predators
Adult dart frogs have few predators, but the tadpoles, which contain no toxins, often fall prey to other amphibians, reptiles and predatory invertebrates.
Diet
The blue poison dart frog diet includes:
- ants (source of its skin toxins),
- termites,
- tiny beetles,
- any other small insect it may find among the leaf litter
Reproduction
Blue poison dart frogs are relatively easy to breed. Males are quiet callers from a position in the leaves or on a rock. Females are attracted to the calland
draw the male’s attention by stroking his snout andback in a typical poison frog courtship sequence. The female follows the male back to a hidden spot to lay a small clutch of 2-6 eggs that are tended by the male and probably by the female in some instances. Hatching takes place in about 14-18 days. Both parents have been found carrying tadpoles to a rocky streamsuitable for their further development. Once at their final destination, the tadpoles are on their own. It will take another 6 weeks to reach adulthood.