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Family: Dendrobatidae
Stawberry Poison-dart Frog, more...Strawberry Poison Frog (es: Rana De Dardo, Rana Venenosa Roja)
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Adult: Species description based on Savage (2002). A small poison frog (males to 24 mm). Throats of females are usually red; throats of males have a pale spot in the center. Dorsal: The general coloration of Oophaga pumilio consists of a red body (occassionally blue) with red, blue, purple, or black hind legs. The lower forearms sometimes also have these colors. In some individuals, the dorsum and ventral surface are flecked with black. The skin of the dorsum is smooth. On the islands of Bocas del Toro in Panama, this species exhibits an incredible amount of color and pattern polymorphism (see Evolution below). Ventral: The ventral coloration is similar to the dorsum, mostly red, with contrasting coloration on the limbs than sometimes extends onto the rear half of the belly. Breeding season: Breeding occurs year-round (Savage 2002). If a female approaches a male, they engage in a series of courtship behaviors prior to amplexus (Savage 2002). Amplexus is unusual--the male and female face away from one another and place their vents together (Savage 2002). Egg: Females typically lay between 3 and 5 eggs, and may lay another clutch as often as every week (Savage 2002). Eggs hatch in one week (Limerick 1980). Tadpole: The tadpole is small and very dark brown, with a moderate tail with almost no tail fins (Savage 2002). The tail is lighter than the body, with some darker pigmentation (Savage 2002). Metamorphosis occurs after 43-52 days (Savage 2002). Metamorph juvenile: Metamorphs are deep red (Savage 2002). Habitat: Lowland and premotane forest to 940 m. Ecology: Oophaga pumilio is commonly encountered hopping along in leaf litter (Savage 2002). Their coloration is aposematic, warning predators of the toxic alkaloids exuded from their skin (Saporito et al 2007). Call: A series of harsh "chirps" Myers et al 1995). Behavior and communication: Males are territorial (Savage 2002). They may engage in extensive wrestling bouts with intruding males if necessary (Savage 2002). After eggs are deposited in a male's territory, he guards them and keeps them hydrated (Weygoldt 1980, Brust 1990, Brust 1993). When the eggs hatch, the female returns and carries her offspring to water-filled phytotelmata. She feeds her larvae unfertilized eggs on a daily basis (Weygoldt 1980, Brust 1990, Brust 1993). When she arrives, she places her rear-end in the water, and the tadpoles touch her and vibrate to signal their presence (Weygoldt 1980, Brust 1990, Brust 1993). The tadpoles do not survive witout the eggs supplied by their mothers (Brust 1990, Brust 1993). Karyotype: 2N = 20 (Bogart 1991). Evolotion: Daly and Myers (1967) and Myers and Daly (1983) initially characterized the great variation in color and patterning in Oophaga pumilio in the Bocas del Toro archipelago. This has sparked an incredible amount of research on sexual selection, behavior, and genetics in this species (Prohl et al 2007, Prohl 2002, Rudh et al 2007, Maan and Cummings 2008, Siddiqi et al 2004, Summers et al 1997, Summers and Kennedy 2004, Tazzyman and Iwasa 2010, Wang and Summers 2009, Wang and Summers 2010). Type locality: der Weg zwischen Bocca del toro und dem Vulcan Chiriqui...zwischen 5000′ und 7000′ Höhe (Panama) Physiology: Oophaga pumilio has become a model system for understanding the relationship between toxicity and diet in poison frogs (Saporito et al 2006, Saporito 2007, Saporito et al 2010) Diet: The diet consists of a variety of small arthropods, including ants (Savage 2002). Diagnostic description: Very small, between 1.7-2.4 cm in length. Head as wide as long, mild eyes, red head surface, uniform or with small black spots. Back and arms smooth, cherry red (rarely blue). Top surface of the legs red, blue, purple or black. Throat red females, males with a cinnamon center. With ovoid tubers below all digits, large digital discs without enterdigitales membranes (Savage, 2002). Habitat: They live on the floor of moderately open understory, and vegetation (10-90 cm. Height) of tropical wet forest. Also in abandoned cacao plantations and secondary forests and banana. Territory: Males defend their territories from other males by a combination of physical combat and vocalizations. It has been shown that competition among males for territories adults is linked to the availability of bromeliads where tadpoles subsequently be located. We found that the density of territorial males is limited by the availability of bromeliads, and territorial behavior probably results in a limit on the size of the population. Females do not defend the territory. On the other hand, other research supports the thesis that these toads select your part based on the availability of ants territory. It has been suggested that the minimum area is 2.5 m. Reproduction: Playback is through the year and is polygamous mating system: males and females mate with different pair sometimes. They lay eggs in moist places on earth, in leaf litter or under logs, with subsequent transport of tadpoles to the water on the back of an adult. The amplexus is absent. Courtship and mating of this species was observed in the La Selva Biological Station (canton of Sarapiqui, Heredia) and was that once the male attracts the female singing, Lead an ideal site for oviposition and she follows. When she stays behind, he stopped and called softly, hoping she would reach. The tactile courtship behavior is that the female rubs her head, head and chin of the male. In both frogs eventual shape positioned belly to belly. It is assumed that while the female lays eggs, the male releases sperm. The size of the set of four pairs observed in the field ranged from 3-5 eggs. After 7 days a female was seen picking up a single tadpole and bring water, placed in a bromeliad, for its development. It was determined that the average duration of transport of a tadpole to a bromeliad is 3 hours. Also the male carries tadpoles. The development of two tadpoles metamorphosis was observed, which lasted the 43-46 days respectively. Because the mothers of these tadpoles had a second tadpole while raising a tadpole may last only 22 to 23 days. Courtship and mating are less tactile interactions the "poison frog" ( Oophaga granuliferus ). Also, courtship and oviposition take place during the morning. Both parents provide parental care and female spends more time raising offspring. The male is responsible for hydration of the eggs. In captivity, both males and females carry the tadpoles to water. Also, besides taking care of the eggs and larvae to water transport, the female doctors tadpoles and provides them with nutritious unfertilised eggs. As the female approaches a bromeliad filled with water, the tadpole indicates their presence with stiff tail, making it vibrate quickly, resulting in water conspicuous circular movements. The female then lays an unfertilized egg the tadpole eats, making a hole the gelatin capsule and sucking content. The female gives the tadpole 7-11 eggs in 1-9 days intervals. This is where the only documented case in a vertebrate regularly produce nutritious eggs and take them to their offspring free life. Competition among tadpoles of this species is ruled out because the females deposit tadpoles in solitary bracts bromeliads free of other tadpoles. Intraspecific competition would limit the size of the population. In Hitoy Cerere 44 matings were performed in the morning with more activity between 9-11 am .. Also, courtship, putting sperm and oviposition lasted between 41-197 minutes was observed. The processions before oviposition ranged from 2-157 minutes. Males remained between 11-45 minutes on the site and spawning females between 19-70 minutes. Oviposition began after the male left the spawning site. The first wetting of the clutch by the male occurred after spawning female. All irrigation occurred between 10:40 am-1: 8:00 p.m. .. The development of tadpoles takes a minimum of 10 days. Females transported tadpoles to water between days 12-14 after oviposition. Two developments of tadpoles in bromeliads taking 43-46 days to complete metamorphosis was observed. The pattern of reproduction in this species suggests an adaptation to climatic conditions. Mate during the wettest months ensures the survival of tadpoles, while at the end of the year would endanger the lives of tadpoles. The habitats of tadpoles (axils of bromeliads, aroids, Musa) dry up during periods of low rainfall. Food: They mainly feed on ants and termites, as these are very small prey, frogs must invest time and energy in foraging. Also, eat Collembola, Diptera, Orthoptera, isopods. Feeding takes place during the singing activity and preferred hours for mating. Males are apparently able to combine singing activity with food, which should help in the defense of the territory. However, males do not feed during courtship. Behavior: The aggressive behavior of the male (to defend their territory) includes both the stomach to hold stomach and grasp as in amplexus (both the English as the armpits). For many of the meetings, frogs emit a dial-whispering. It was also found that male vocalizations serve as an effective mechanism to maintain the effective distance between them, which gives the power and security to strengthen the male sometimes their behavior through attacks and struggles. The vocalization of the male is also used to attract females and plays an integral role to an appropriate site for courtship, oviposition and prevents interference from competitors. In Hitoy Cerere a total of 20 males and 29 females were observed; 14 males were territorial and defended their territories of 24.5 m2 between 13-172 days. The activity of the males began after 7am. and peaked between 8-10 am., with an average of over 40% of territorial males. It is diurnal. Relationships: The combination of bright colors suggests that these frogs are examples of aposematic coloration. Also, these frogs should invest time in search of prey, so they are exposed to high predation pressure. Thus, the toxic skin (pumiliotoxina toxins A, B, C), which is a very potent neurotoxic venom that causes muscle contraction) and warning coloration may have evolved as a defense mechanism. However, despite having strong toxins are predated by frog "toro" ( Leptodactylus savagei ) and supposedly by "quails" ( Tinamus major ). It has been determined that this species is distasteful to predators like the ant "bullet" ( Paraponera clavata ), and nocturnal spider ( Cupiennius coccineus ) which do not attack it. Uses: Individuals of this species are highly prized for use in terrariums, so they are removed from their natural habitat to be sold illegally, mainly in Europe and USA. Distribution in Costa Rica: In humid and lowlands of the Atlantic slope; between 1 and 500 m. Lift (Savage, 2002). Distribution outside Costa Rica: They are from northern Nicaragua to western Panama, in lowland forests located on the Caribbean slope (Savage, 2002). |
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