Poison Dart Frogs of Costa Rica
The brilliant frogs of Costa Rica, together with the sloth and the blue morpho, are some of the most recognisable jungle animals and well-known icons of our country. Several species of these tiny, colourful and potentially toxic poison dart frogs call our country home and they lead very interesting and, sometimes, strange lives!
POISON DART FROGS
Native south american people have, for millennia, coated hunting darts with the secretions of these frogs – this is what gave rise to their name, ‘poison arrow frog and, now, poison dart frogs’. The poison is used to paralyze the prey (usually small birds, mammals and monkey) as the dart itself is too light to be an efficient hunting tool. This weapon was not extensively used against other tribes in times of war or conflict. Interestingly this practice continues – for example tranquilizer darts are still used to subdue dangerous animals although the are usually shot out of a specialized handgun or rifle instead of a blowgun.
THE POISON
Poison dart frogs are do not produce their poison – like the blue morpho butterfly they acquire the toxicity through their diet of poisonous ants, mites and termites. At least 28 different types of poisonous alkaloids have been identified in their toxins so far, this depends on the species and also on their local diets. The poison accumulates in the frogs’ bodies and seeps out of their skin glands making them dangerous to any animal that tries to eat, taste or even touch them, and this includes humans – in fact 1 gram of their poison will kill 5,000 people! The poison is being used in medical research, with some promising applications such as anti-pain medicine. A few animals, like the fire-bellied snake, have evolved to be immune to the poison and thus enjoy a diet of the frogs unimpeded.
Contrary to popular belief, touching a poison dart frog does not necessarily mean a near-instant suffering and death – most species, including all of the ones believed to be found in Costa Rica, can be handled as long as the skin has no cuts and the hands are washed immediately without touching areas like the mouth, face, eyes etc. A few other species, found further south in the Amazon, are so toxic that a touch can be dangerous or even lethal. There are reports of dogs and chickens dying after coming into contact with items that some frogs have gingerly hopped across. To be safe, it is best to leave these animals alone!
When kept as pets (they are said to live up to 25 years in captivity vs 1-3 years in the wild) wild-caught poison dart frogs usually lose all of their toxicity due to the changes in their controlled diets while captive-bred specimens are never toxic – after all domestic ants and crickets, the usual captive diet, are fairly non-toxic and benign. In addition, some species eat larger prey and display zero toxicity as they do not acquire the toxic chemicals from their diet. In these cases, the frogs do not display the bright colours and tend to blend in with their surroundings. if you are wondering why this is the case, keep reading below!
WHY THE BRILIANT COLORING?
The poison dart frogs’ brilliant coloring is a stark warning, telling potential predators to STAY AWAY or else bad things will happen to you! Interestingly, the most toxic frogs do not have the brightest colourings – this is because it takes energy to produce the toxins and colourings, and cranking each to the max is not very efficient. So generally the colourful but not-too-colourful frogs are the most toxic while the super colourful and conspicuous ones are only slightly to moderately toxic. This colouration is an example of aposematism – a strategy used by plants and creatures such as fish, insects, snakes, octopi, mammals as well as many different animals. Instead of trying to camouflage into the greenery like other local non-toxic frogs, the poison dart frogs are shouting from the rooftops ‘here I am!‘ – and they’re not afraid of being seen because they know very few an animal will dare to come close.
THE STRANGE KID RAISING HABITS OF POISON DART FROGS
Many species of poison dart frogs are very devoted parents – they carry their newly hatched tadpoles around on their backs, climbing plants, shrubs and trees to find a pool of water onto which to deposit their children. The favourite plants are bromeliads, which include the pineapple – as these plants are structured in a way which creates pools of water at the base of their leaves. The parents then feed their tadpoles a diet of insects and, in some cases, unfertilised eggs. Often, the tadpoles resort to cannibalism, eating each other until there are only a few left. Other species may tend to their tadpoles in shallow pools of water located in forest floor litter.
POISON DART FROGS OF COSTA RICA
Most of these animals live in Panama and southward, with highest concentrations of species being found in the Amazon rainforests of Brazil, Colombia and Peru. However several poison dart frog species call Costa Rica home, making their home in the humid rainforests as well as marshes, lakes and swamps, higher mountian woodlands, and cloudforests. Below we showcase the species that can be found right here in Costa Rica – their colouring is truly mesmerising!
Green-And-Black poison dart frog.
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