Dyeing Poison Dart Frog

Dyeing Poison Frog

The Dendrobates tinctorius, also known as the dyeing poison frog was first discovered in 1797 by G. Cuvier. The Scientific classification of this amphibian is: Kingdom-Animalia, Phylum- Chordata, Class- Amphibia, Order-Anura, Family- Dendrobatidae, Genus- Dendrobates, Species- D. tinctorius.

These are large poison frogs ranging from 40 to 50 mm and some females can reach to 60 mm. The dyeing poison frog is a bright blue frog with two broad yellow stripes on the back. The stripes are connected by cross bands and make two to three oval blue islands down the middle of the back. The arms and legs are usually black or a dark shade of blue with many bright yellow or black spots. Sometimes the colors can vary and the pattern of the frog will be different. The beautiful colors of this frog are the warn predators that they are poisonous and ward them off. They will have an erect posture and a distinct tympanum. It is said that the males can be distinguished from females because they have larger finger discs that are cut straighter across the tips.

The dyeing poison frogs are mainly located in Guyana, Surinam, French Guyana and Brazil. Their habitat is a tropical rainforest from lowland to 1200ft. They are creatures of humid, usually wet habitats, and their skins are not waxy enough to prevent evaporation in dry air. These frogs are mainly ground dwellers and seldom leave ground vegetation but, they are able to climb and jump. They are found living by fallen trees, tree roots and fallen leaves. They are hardly ever seen by streams or streaming water. All Dendrobatids are insectivores. The dyeing poison frogs mainly feed on spiders and small insects such as ants and termites. They have excellent vision which enables them to easily find food on the forest floor. To capture their prey they use their sticky, retractable tongues.

The reproduction of the Dendrobates tinctorius is during the entire rainy season from about July until September.