Poison dart frog

Dendrobates tinctorius

Poison borrowed from tiny eaten prey

An adult of the blue morph from southern Suriname, once considered a completely separate species.

Status: Safe
Tropical rainforests of Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, and Brazil

Numbers

Weight: 0,3 ozweight of an adult
Length: 1,8 in1 to 1.8 in according to the Italian source; English sources report 1.4 to 2.8 in depending on the morph
Lifespan: 5 years3 to 5 years in the wild
Color morphs: 30 recognized morphsmore than thirty, each tied to a specific location
Maximum elevation: 2000 ftalso found at sea level
Poison reaction time: 20 minutesafter a few seconds of skin contact

Ten fun facts

does not produce its own poison toxins, but accumulates them from eaten arthropods, especially ants and mites.
toxins block calcium, sodium, and potassium channels, directly interfering with the nerves and muscles of any victim.
has more than thirty recognized color morphs, each linked to a specific locality across the Guiana Shield.
the mostly blue morph from southern Suriname was classified for many years as a separate species named azureus.
despite their very different physical appearances, populations of the various color morphs are almost genetically identical.
its scientific name tinctorius comes from an indigenous legend about using frog poison to dye parrot feathers.
the adhesive toe pads on its feet are circular in females and heart-shaped in male frogs.
tadpoles develop in small pools of water trapped inside fallen trees, which scientists call phytotelmata.
studies show that its tadpoles can survive in water pools with salinity levels up to 955 parts per million.
a photographer who held one for five seconds felt his entire arm go numb twenty minutes later.

The quiz answers

The first one is the question printed in your book: here is the answer. The other four are extra.

Question 1 of 5★ this one is in your book

Where does this frog get its poison?

Question 2 of 5

How many color morphs are recognized?

Question 3 of 5

What is the purpose of its bright colors?

Question 4 of 5

How much does an adult weigh?

Question 5 of 5

What does the scientific name tinctorius mean?

Try it yourself

Experiment 1

Draw three identical frogs on paper and color them differently: black and yellow, mostly blue, and bright yellow. These are three variants of the same species.

Experiment 2

Weigh a quarter of an ounce of rice on a kitchen scale and hold it in your palm. That is the exact weight of an adult frog.

Experiment 3

Mark two inches on a ruler and lay your thumb over it. That is roughly the total length of an adult frog.

Data from Wikidata (Q1478869) and Wikipedia (Dyeing poison dart frog).