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Dendrobates      Dendrobates are brightly colored                                    frogs are known for the poison                                    they secrete from their                                     skin. They are also  known                                     as poison dart or poison arrow                                     frogs.The secretions are used                                    by some south and central American                                     Indian tribes as a coating for blow                                   darts to traquilize potential prey.

   

Range:	Brazil, Surinam and the Guianas of S. America
Habitat:	Tropical rainforests and trees of course!
Diet in the wild:	Toxic bugs and small invertebraes that are found in trees and leaf litter (fruitflies, ants, termites, etc.
Diet at the zoo:	Dendrobates are very adaptable and readily accept flies and green aphids ant and other bugs
Status:	Not threatened, some species are being captive bred

       

Physical Description: 20 to 50mm from snout to tail. Dendrobates come in a rainbow of "warning" colors. Females are generally bigger (2 to 5mm) and fatter, and some males in certain species have broader plates on their forelegs. Males also have an enlarged neck sack that is used to croak and pick up chicks.

     

General Information: Dendrobates are dirurnal which means day-active and very teritorial as well and will wrestle one and other over territorial desputes.

       

Mating and Frog Love Rituals: A male in his own territory will inflate his vocal sac to call a female that is ready to court. The female comes and follows the male to the site of egg-laying and the two frogs may dance around one amother or even rub noses. Mating procedures vary even within the same species.Sometimes the eggs are fertilized after the female has left. The male then may move the eggs about to make sure they are all fertilized.Clutches of eggs usually have only 2 to 6 eggs.

   

Special Adaptations:  Dendrobates are brighly colored to attract potential predators. When the predators attempt to eat the frog they realize that they are poisoned and promptly spit them out. (It is apparent these frogs have a sick sense of humor)

       

Personal observations: These frogs are popular pets and once captive bred and fed non-poisonous insects they lose their toxicity so there is no real risk (exept financial) to keeping them as pets.

                    ZooFrogs:               There are 26 known species of frogs in                the genus Dendrobates,                 two of which reside at the Fort Worth Zoo    

Blue poison     dart    frog       Dendrobate      Azureus

     

Dyeing poison dart frog  Dendrobates Tinctorius

                      Send me some mail!!!!                       SheRa226@aol.com                            Still feelin' froggy? Hop over                 to these cool frog sites:                !!!FROGLAND!!!                             The Froggy Page                          Dendrobate sources:                                    Walls, Jerry G. Keeping Poison frogs (1994 T.F.                                    Davies, Robert and Valerie The Reptile and                                         Amphibian problem  solver (1997 Tetra press)                                    Corban, John The Proper  Care of                                     Amphibians   (1992 T.F. press)                                    The Froggy Page                                     Frogland