Blue Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates tinctorius (formerly Dendrobates azureus)

These little frogs are easily recognized by their blue color, which is generally darker on the limbs and belly and overlaid with black spots or patches, especially on the head and back. As their name implies, poison dart frogs can release toxins from the skin that are distasteful and potentially lethal to would-be predators. Blue poison dart frogs are active during the day and can be found hiding among boulders and debris near streams and among leaf litter on the forest floor; however, they lack toe webbing and are poor swimmers, so they are not found in the water. The blue poison dart frog lays small clutches of five to six eggs. After hatching, the parents transfer tadpoles to individual pools of water, where they finish development. At the Aquarium we replicate this by raising tadpoles in small individual containers of water. A constant forager, this frog is always searching for mites, termites, tiny beetles and any other small insect it may find among the leaf litter. An adult frog has a body about 2 inches long and weighs about 0.3 ounce. These frogs are found in a few isolated “rain forest islands” in the Sipaliwini savanna of southern Suriname. This area was probably covered by rain forest habitat in the distant past—until the last ice age. The rain forests have since given way to dry grassland in all but a few areas where surface groundwater was sufficient to sustain the original vegetation. The blue poison dart frog lives in a few isolated patches of relic rain forest habitat. The habitat is remote and difficult to reach, so accurate population monitoring is a challenge. Regardless of numbers, this species is highly vulnerable to both human activities and natural factors, such as drought, due to its extremely small range and isolated populations. Adult dart frogs have few predators, but the tadpoles, which contain no toxins, often fall prey to other amphibians, reptiles and predatory invertebrates. The blue poison dart frog or blue poison arrow frog or known by its native name, okapipi, (Dentrobates tinctorius "azureus") is a poison dart frog found in the forests surrounded by the Sipaliwini savannah, which is located in southern Suriname and adjacent far northern Brazil. D. tinctorius "azureus" is also known by its Tirio Indian name, okopipi. Its scientific name comes from its azure (blue) color. While frequently considered a valid species in the past, recent authorities treat it as a variant of D. tinctorius. Dendrobates tinctorius "azureus" is a medium-sized frog that weighs about 8 grams and grows to 3.0-4.5 cm in length. Females are larger and about half a centimeter longer than males, but males have larger toes. The frog has a typical lifespan of five to seven years in the wild. Its bright blue skin, usually darker around its limbs and stomach, serves as a warning to predators. The glands of poisonous alkaloids located in the skin serve as a defense mechanism to potential predators. These poisons paralyze and sometimes kill the predator. The black spots are unique to each frog, enabling individuals to be identified. This species of frog has a distinctive hunch-backed posture. Each foot contains four toes, which each have a flattened tip with a suction cup pad used for gripping. The tips of the toes in females are round, while males have heart-shaped tips. As with almost all frogs, tadpoles differ greatly in appearance from adults. They have a long tail, about 6 mm, with a total length of about 10 mm. They lack legs and have gills instead of lungs. The blue poison dart frog breeds seasonally, usually during February or March when it is rainy. To find mates the males sit on a rock and produce quiet calls, which the females follow to track down the males. The females then physically fight over a male. The male takes the female to a quiet place by water, which becomes the site of the egg-laying. Fertilization occurs externally: once the eggs are laid the male will cover them in his sperm. Between five and ten offspring are produced at each mating. Eggs are laid in the male’s territory, which he defends. The male takes care of the eggs, sometimes joined by the female. The eggs hatch after 14 to 18 days, and after 10 to 12 weeks the tadpoles are fully mature. Both sexes reach sexual maturity at two years of age. The expected lifespan of D. tinctorius "azureus" is between four and six years in the wild, and about ten years in captivity. The Blue Poison Dart Frog feeds on ants, beetles, flies, mites, spiders, termites, maggots and caterpillars. In captivity, like most captive dart frogs, they eat a staple diet of fruit flies, pinhead crickets, rice flour beetle larvae, and springtails.