Splendid poison frog

The **splendid poison frog** (*Oophaga speciosa*) is a species of poison dart frog that is endemic to the eastern end of Cordillera de Talamanca, western Panama. Its natural habitats are humid lowland and montane forests. The splendid poison frog was once extinct as a result of deforestation and habitat degradation from human activities, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced to its former range. The splendid poison frog is 1.5-2 centimeters (0.5-0.7 inches) in length and the frog is insectivorous like all poison dart frogs, feeding mainly on the mites and ants of certain species in the wild, which results in the frog to become toxic in nature. The splendid poison frog is diurnal and primarily terrestrial, and can often be found in leaf litter in both forested and lightly disturbed areas. The optimal habitat is determined by the male, considering the resource benefits and defense costs. Males tend to expend more energy defending smaller but higher quality areas. There has also been evidence that the better competitors and fighters are the males guarding smaller sites with higher female density. In most frogs, the louder the vocalization when competing usually means they are larger in size and in better health. However, in the this species, these frogs call out at a lower rate to limit their energetic expenditures. Females, on the other hand, simply distribute themselves according to tadpole rearing sites. The splendid poison frog is an external breeder, and other species of the genus *Oophaga* are notable in the amphibian world for exhibiting a high degree of parental care. The splendid poison frog has dual parental care. The males defend and water the nests, and the females feed the oophagous tadpoles their unfertilized eggs. Although both male and female contribute to parental care, females invest more heavily in terms of energy expenditure, time investment, and loss of potential reproduction. When choosing a partner for mating, females will choose the closest calling male rather than the highest quality male. Females provide energetically costly eggs to the tadpoles for 6–8 weeks (until metamorphosis), remain sexually inactive during tadpole rearing, and care for only one clutch of four to six tadpoles at a time. The males contribute via the relatively "cheap" (in terms of energy) act of watering and protecting the eggs for a relatively short period (10–12 days), and can care for multiple nests at one time. The extreme maternal investment in their offspring is believed to be the result of high egg mortality. Only 5–12% of the clutch develops into tadpoles, so the female's fitness may be best increased by making sure those few eggs that form tadpoles survive. After mating, the female lays three to five eggs on a leaf or bromeliad axil. The male then ensures the eggs are kept hydrated by transporting water in his cloaca. After about 10 days, the eggs hatch and the female transports the tadpoles on her back to some water-filled location. In captivity, on rare occasions, the male is observed transporting the tadpoles, though whether this is intentional, or the tadpoles simply hitch a ride, is unknown. Bromeliad axils are frequently used tadpole deposition sites, but anything suitable can be used, such as knots in trees, small puddles, or human trash such as aluminum cans. Tadpoles are deposited singly at each location. Once this has been done, the female will come to each tadpole every few days and deposit several unfertilized food eggs. In captivity, tadpoles have been raised on a variety of diets, ranging from algae to the eggs of other dart frogs, but with minimal success. Splendid poison frog tadpoles are considered obligate egg feeders, as they are unable to accept any other form of nutrition. After about a month, the tadpole will metamorphose into a small froglet. Generally, it stays near its water source for a few days for protection as it absorbs the rest of its tail. The conservation status of the splendid poison frog is **Vulnerable** due to some habitat loss and the the disease chytridiomycosis, however, thanks to the conservationists, the splendid poison frog is a protected species.