Golfodulcean Poison Frog
Encyclopedia
The Golfodulcean Poison Frog (Phyllobates vittatus) is a species of frog
in the Dendrobatidae family.
It is endemic to Costa Rica
.
Its natural habitat
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
s and river
s.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
, Golfodulcean poison frogs have highly potent neurotoxic
alkaloid
poisons in their skin. While it is only the fourth-most toxic of the genus, the Golfodulcean poison frog is still a highly toxic animal. Its poison causes severe pain, mild seizure
s, and paralysis in severe cases. The frog, for protection, advertises its toxin with its multi-coloured body. Because it is of comparatively large size for a poison dart frog, the Golfodulcean poison frog can store a large amount of poison in its skin. Captive examples lack the toxin, which suggests that Golfodulcean poison frogs do not manufacture the poison themselves, but instead acquire it from a species of insect or other small invertebrate
that it feeds on.
Scientists have determined that other species of the genus Phyllobates
take their poison from a small beetle
of the family Melyridae
, as perhaps does the Golfodulcean poison frog. However, as its toxin is slightly weaker than that of the other species in the genus Phyllobates
, it seems likely that it takes its toxin from another species of invertebrate, which has yet to be discovered.
to the end of the frog's nose.
s, and the climbing space must be smooth and vertical. Phyllobates frogs are more than capable of climbing out of unsecured vivaria, so ensure that their vivarium is completely sealed.
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
in the Dendrobatidae family.
It is endemic to Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
.
Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s and river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
Poison
Like all members of the genus PhyllobatesPhyllobates
Phyllobates is a genus of poison dart frogs native to South America, from Nicaragua to Colombia. Phyllobates contains the most poisonous species of frog, the Golden Poison Frog . They are typical of the poison dart frogs, in that all species are colourful, and have varying degrees of toxicity...
, Golfodulcean poison frogs have highly potent neurotoxic
Neurotoxin
A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...
alkaloid
Alkaloid
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...
poisons in their skin. While it is only the fourth-most toxic of the genus, the Golfodulcean poison frog is still a highly toxic animal. Its poison causes severe pain, mild seizure
Seizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
s, and paralysis in severe cases. The frog, for protection, advertises its toxin with its multi-coloured body. Because it is of comparatively large size for a poison dart frog, the Golfodulcean poison frog can store a large amount of poison in its skin. Captive examples lack the toxin, which suggests that Golfodulcean poison frogs do not manufacture the poison themselves, but instead acquire it from a species of insect or other small invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
that it feeds on.
Scientists have determined that other species of the genus Phyllobates
Phyllobates
Phyllobates is a genus of poison dart frogs native to South America, from Nicaragua to Colombia. Phyllobates contains the most poisonous species of frog, the Golden Poison Frog . They are typical of the poison dart frogs, in that all species are colourful, and have varying degrees of toxicity...
take their poison from a small beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
of the family Melyridae
Melyridae
Melyridae are a family of beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea. The family Melyridae contains 520 species in 58 genera in North America. Most are elongate-oval, soft-bodied beetles 10 mm long or less. Many are brightly colored with brown or red and black...
, as perhaps does the Golfodulcean poison frog. However, as its toxin is slightly weaker than that of the other species in the genus Phyllobates
Phyllobates
Phyllobates is a genus of poison dart frogs native to South America, from Nicaragua to Colombia. Phyllobates contains the most poisonous species of frog, the Golden Poison Frog . They are typical of the poison dart frogs, in that all species are colourful, and have varying degrees of toxicity...
, it seems likely that it takes its toxin from another species of invertebrate, which has yet to be discovered.
Description
P. vittatus is a fairly large poison frog, reaching a length of 3.5 cm in adulthood, with females typically being larger than males. They are more smooth-bodied than other species of the genus, having almost perfectly sloping backs. Unlike the related P. bicolor and terribilis, their shoulder blades are usually not visible beneath their skin, giving the frogs the appearance of being overweight. The frog's color is black, but it may appear to glitter due to chemical pigments in the skin Its legs are mottled blue, and the sides often have a marble pattern of blue or green. One of the most distinctive features of P. vittatus are the two stripes running down its back for which it was named. These stripes are usually fire orange, but they may also be golden, yellow, or green and extend from just above the cloacaCloaca
In zoological anatomy, a cloaca is the posterior opening that serves as the only such opening for the intestinal, reproductive, and urinary tracts of certain animal species...
to the end of the frog's nose.
As Pets
Golfodulcean poison frogs are communal animals, and have recently become available in the pet trade. They can be kept in a vivarium measuring about 100x60x60 cm, to grant the frogs both space to move around on the ground and space to climb. A clean, mossy substrate should be provided and, optionally, a carpet of leaves. However, care must be taken to ensure that the leaves are completely unblemished, as many parasitic fungi are lethal to amphibians. Phyllobates frogs climb by sticking to leaves with their adhesive toe pads, in a similar manner to geckoGecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
s, and the climbing space must be smooth and vertical. Phyllobates frogs are more than capable of climbing out of unsecured vivaria, so ensure that their vivarium is completely sealed.
Source
- Solís, F., Ibáñez, R., Chaves, G., Savage, J., Jaramillo, C., Fuenmayor, Q. & Bolaños, F. 2004. Phyllobates vittatus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 21 July 2007.