Golfoducean

Poison Frog

Phyllobates vittatus

Habitat & Distribution : Costa Rica

Diet : Insects

Size : 3,5 cm

Lifespan : 10 years

Description

This frog has a smooth body compared to other poison frogs. It tends to be solid black in color, but may appear to glitter due to its skin pigments. It is characterized by the two lines along its back, usually fire orange but can also be gold, yellow or green.

Behavior

They practice "backpacking," where the parent carries the newly hatched tadpoles to the forest canopy to deposit them in small water pools within bromeliad leaves.

Reproduction

Golfoducean poison frogs breed on land, with females laying 7–21 eggs on leaves in leaf litter every 1–2 weeks. Males guard and hydrate the eggs for about two weeks until they hatch, then carry the tadpoles on their backs to water sources like streams or leaf axils

Communication & Perception

They communicate primarily through vocalizations to establish territory, attract mates, and during courtship, with these calls often described as high-pitched chirps, buzzes, or trilling whistles. They are territorial during the day, using these calls to define their space.

Predator(s)

Fire-bellied Snake

Conservation Status :

Endangered (IUCN Red List; 2020)
Appendix II (CITES; 2022)

Fun Fact

The frog's skin contains the neurotoxin, batrochotoxin which is known to cause pain, seizures and paralysis. It is used as a protective mechanism for the frog. The toxin is not produced by the frog's own body, but rather accumulated from the insects and small invertebrates they eat in the wild.

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