Strawberry Poison Dart Frog

ANIMAL:
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog Oophaga pumilio

Type of Animal:
Frog

Habitat:
Humid forest, premontane forest, plantations, banana groves, abandoned clearings

Location(s):
Ranges from Nicaragua to NW Panama

Appearance:
Small strawberry-colored frog w/ blue on legs, variable dorsal coloration (there’s 15-30 known morphs), large dark eyes

Food/Diet:
Ants, mites, termites, flies, beetles, millipedes, insect eggs, small crickets, eggs of own species. Tadpoles strictly oophagous eating only unfertilized eggs.

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos, aquariums, & herpetoculture

Lifestyle:
Small groups of 2-8 frogs

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young: Tadpole
Group: Army
 
Weight:
Male: 0.18 oz
Female: 0.49 oz
 
Gestation:
10 days 

Life Span:
3-6 years in wild, 8-12 years in captivity

Body Length:
Male: 0.67 in
Female: 0.94 in

Due to skin toxins, only a few snakes eat adults.
 
Active during the day (diurnal).
 
Females lay 3-5 eggs per clutch.
 
When tadpoles hatch, female transports them to water-filled location. Each tadpole deposited singly.
 
Tadpoles stay in tadpole stage for 1-2 months, then metamorphosing into froglets. Froglet stage lasts until 8-10 months old when maturity reached.
 
They fight by wrestling each other.
 
Most often deposit eggs in bromeliad axils but sometimes utilize small puddles, tree knots, & even cans.
 
Both parents play parental role but female plays larger role, providing unfertilized eggs for tadpoles.
 
Males make low buzz/tick calls to defend territory/attract females.
 
Females usually initiate mating.
 
Bright coloration serves as warning to potential predators. Brighter males also more territorial & likely to mate.

Fun Fact(s):
Used in medical research due to skin toxins being possible medicine source.
 
Also called Strawberry Dart Frog, Strawberry Poison Frog, & Blue Jeans Frog (latter due to blue on legs).
 
While toxic in wild, they lose much/all of toxicity in captivity due to diet. In captivity, they’re only fed nontoxic prey items, like crickets & fruit flies. In wild, they eat lots of toxic prey.
 
Hunters use skin toxins on darts & arrows.
 
To ensure clutch moist, male pees on eggs daily.
 
Bright coloration serves as warning to potential predators.