under her ‘armpits’ and then fertil-
ises the eggs externally as they are
released. In contrast, most species of
Colestethus and Phyllobates exhibit
‘cephalic amplexus’, where the
female is grasped in front of her
forelegs. Some Phyllobates and all
Dendrobates species have dispensed
with amplexus completely, and
instead the couples perform a
complex and species-specific
repertoire of behaviours, with the
finale being the discharge of the
male’s sperm, which may occur
before or after the eggs are laid.
Many species of dendrobatids,
including P. terribilis, are highly
threatened, facing pressures from
anthropogenic factors including
climate change, as well as being
susceptible to the chytrid fungus.
Much of the area occupied by these
frogs is under threat from agricul-
tural expansion. Their habitat is
being lost at alarming rates due to
illegal crops, logging, mining and
livestock agriculture - the latter
being the main cause of deforestation
globally. Their habitat is also
threatened by pollution, including
contamination by pesticides used on
crops (both those intended for human
consumption, and those for live-
stock), and they are under pressure
from collection for the pet trade,
despite being bred commercially in
captivity.
Further Reading.
Maan, M. & Cummings, M. 2012, Poison
Frog Colors Are Honest Signals of Toxicity,
Particularly for Bird Predators, Am. Nat., 179:
E1-E14.
Weygoldt, P. 1987, Evolution of parental care
in dart poison frogs (Amphibia: Anura: Den-
drobatidae), Journal of Zoological Systematics
and Evolutionary Research, 25(1): 51-67.
hy are Poison Dart Frogs so popular with
hobbyists overseas?
Dendrobatids are completely harmless in captivity.
Even wild-caught specimens will soon lose the ability
to create secrete toxins on a captive diet.
They are diurnal, and active during the day.
They don’t have loud calls, and don’t call at night.
Due to their small size, they require only a modest
terrarium, and have very little impact on plants and
furnishings.
Many species are easy to breed, and babies can be
raised within the adults’ enclosure.
Most poison dart frogs now sold in the pet trade have
been bred in captivity.
Maintenance is minimal, and frog faeces is easily
decomposed in a bio-active enclosure.
Poison dart frogs are hardy and long-lived in
captivity.
Best of all, they look....AMAZING!
Myers, C. W., Daly, J. W. & Malkin, B. 1978,
A dangerously toxic new frog (Phyllobates)
used by Emberá Indians of western Colombia,
with discussion of blowgun fabrication and
dart poisoning, Bulletin of the AMNH; v. 161,
article 2.
Ringler, E., Beck, K. B., Weinlein, S., Huber,
L. & Ringler, M. 2017, Adopt, ignore, or kill?
Male poison frogs adjust parental decisions
according to their territorial status, Scientific
Reports, 7:43544.
Santos, J. C. & Cannatella, D. C. 2011, Phe-
notypic integration emerges from aposema-
tism and scale in poison frogs, Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. U S A, Apr 12; 108(15): 6175–
6180.
Right: Blue Dyeing Dart Frog
(Dendrobates tinctorius). Image
by Aleksey Stemmer.