ANIMAL: Blue Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates azureus Type of Animal: Frog Habitat: Wet forest, areas near streams, forests surrounded by savanna Location(s): S Suriname & adjacent far N Brazil Appearance: Small blue colored frog (large for a poison dart frog), females larger than males Food/Diet: Ants, termites, caterpillars, beetles, flies, maggots, mites, crickets, spiders, springtails, tadpoles/froglets of own species. Tadpoles also eat algae & detritus. Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos, aquariums, & herpetoculture Lifestyle: Small groups of 2-5 frogs Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Tadpole Group: Army Weight: Male: 0.13-0.15 oz Female: 0.23-0.29 oz Gestation: 2.5 weeks Life Span: 5-7 years in wild, 10-15 years in captivity Body Length: Male: 1 in Female: 1.5 in Only predators of adults are some snakes & large spiders. Tadpoles/froglets preyed on by other amphibians (including each other), reptiles, & predatory invertebrates. Also called Blue Poison Frogs & Blue Poison Arrow Frogs. Active during the day (diurnal). Males have quiet buzzing calls. Females lay small clutches of 2-8 eggs. After eggs laid, male & sometimes female guard them. When tadpoles hatch, tadpoles climb on parent’s back (usually male) & take them to small body of water, where they’ll stay for 1.5-2.5 months. After tadpole stage, they enter froglet stage, reaching maturity at around 6 months old. They’re great climbers. They fight by wrestling. Females initiate courtship by nudging male on side & stroking back w/ her front legs. Fun Fact(s): Each frog has own unique spotted pattern, similar to human fingerprints. Probably the most curious of all the poison dart frog species & one of the most commonly kept. Coloration serves as warning to potential predators. Known as Okopipi in Tirio language spoken in native range. Used in medical research due to skin toxins being possible medicine source. 1st discovered in 1968. While highly poisonous 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 ants, termites, & poisonous beetles. Often hybridize w/ closely related Dyeing Poison Dart Frog in captivity. Hunters use skin toxins on darts/arrows hence their name.
