Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-06
Ponomuniun Tree Frog
Exudes ViruIent Poison
Scarlet Dendrobote Lives
HIGH in Dense Rain Forest
By THOMAS r. HENRY

PANAMA I'll "A UIulldIlb cCdIlcb
frog lives in the dense Panama rain
forest.
From its skin is exuded virulent
poison. It is, for the most part. a
denizen of tree tops.
This creature has just been reported
as a hitherto unknown species by DR..
Harold Trapido Of the Gorgas Memo
rial Laboratory here. It is one Of the
two species of dendrobates or poison
arrow" frogs with the emulation from
whose skin Carib Indians used to poi
son their arrow heads at the time OF
Columbus, which appear to be exclu-
sively tree dwellers. The animals used
by the Indians were common ground
jewellers.
The most abundant Of the two can
opy frogs which long has been known
to specialists is fairly large creature
of its race strikingly marked with an
irregular pattern Of black and metallic
green. The newly found amphibian is
less than an inch long and, according
to DR.. Trapido's description, "deep
scarlet both above and below but with
the feet and thighs black, fiecked with
metallic green on the rear and metal
lie blue on the 'front.'" In few in
dividuals the entire red surface 10
f1ecked with black.
Habitat Restricted
That so conspicuous creature should
have remained so long unknown to
science, DR.. Trapido points out In his
report, presumably is due to its very
restricted habitat. It is found only on
the Atlantic side of the isthmus near
the mouth of small bay where Column
bus landed for fresh water on his fourth
voyage. This area has been little visited
by collectors. The frog, however, Is
fairly well known to natives.
The creature probably never will be
seen in its gorgeous colors outside its
narrow range In captivity it probably
would die very quickly. Placed in a
preventative it quickly turns to drab,
uniform black.
A few individuals. apparently Of the
same species, have coats of apple-green
or pale green-yellow instead OF red.
They apparently represent less than
per cent of the population. DR.. Trapido
believes.
The animal Is a remarkable and pc
culiar climber. 1t aScends tree trunk
by series of short Jumps catching its
toes in rough spots on the bark. (Other
tree frogs have suction disks on their
feet by means of which they can walk
up tree in leisurely fashion,. It
makes it's way unerringly from the
ground to its treetop nome. pool Of
water in the axil of bromiliad or
tank plant" tree of the pineapple
family.
Live in Colonies
"These frogs" DR.. Trapide says.
"seem quite colonial In an area some
80 yards square about so individuals
were collected in a half hour with the
help of native children. These were
only small fraction of those seen and
not collected. During the day they
were very active, hopping about on the
ground and on petioles and leaves. AS
many as three or four could be seen
at time crouched in the axis of
these plants, both in the water and
on the petioles just outside the &C
cumulated water. Their poison secre-
ton must be of considerable survival
value for number of domestic fowl
were foraging in the patch but they
made no attempt to eat these bright
red frogs. No other frogs were found
in the area.
They call internationally during the
day. The call is series of grating,
insectlike chirps, rapidly increasing
in frequency and ending in almost
trill. The upper abdomen and pectoral
region are considerably inflated during
the calling. the throat only moderately
so. Single chirps are given with fair
frequency
"They readily climb glass walls to
pursue mosquitoes. At night they are
quiescent, for the most part resting
in groups toward the tops of the
leaves"
Up to now no eggs have been found.
The Gorgas laboratory scientist, how
ever, has collected a series of tadpoles
IN various stages of Transformation
into frogs.