Strawberry Dart Frog

Strawberry dart frog (Oophaga pumilio) is a species of poison dart frogs, which are brightly colored and poisonous. Native Americans used to apply the toxic secretions on the body of these frogs to poison their blow darts. The name dart frog is derived from this practice of the native Americans. Strawberry dart frogs are one of the most vibrantly colored species of poison dart frogs. There are about 15 to 30 color variations of these frogs, which are named after their bright red coloration. It cannot be said that all of them are bright red in color. There are various types with different color combinations, but, red color is common among them. One of the common forms of strawberry dart frog, has a body color of strawberry red with blue (purple or black) limbs. This color morph is often referred to as 'blue jeans morph'.

Physical Features

Now, you know that strawberry dart frogs are poisonous and are mostly red in color (with many color morphs). This species of poison dart frog is mainly found in Central America and their habitat include humid lowlands, montane forests and plantations. The bright body color of these amphibians acts as a warning sign for predators. The skin of these frogs contain highly toxic compounds, that affect the nerves and muscles of those, who consume these frogs. So, once the predators notice this feature, they will learn to link such bright coloration to toxicity and spare these frogs. In short, the characteristic features of strawberry dart frogs include bright coloration (especially red) and toxicity. Other than that, the second finger of the strawberry poison dart frog is conspicuously longer than the first one. These frogs have finger discs, that are similar to those of tree frogs. Their limbs are very thin, as compared to the plump bodies, which can grow up to a length of 17.5-22 mm.

Why are They Poisonous?

As in the case of other poison dart frogs, strawberry dart frogs too have steroidal alkaloid toxins in its skin. These highly toxic alkaloids can affect the nerve and muscle activity of those, who are exposed to it. The presence of toxins are part of their defense mechanism. This may be reason behind the free movement of these frogs during the daytime. However, there are some predators, like the Amazon ground snake, which feed on strawberry dart frogs. According to some studies, the alkaloids on the skin of poison dart frogs are derived from their diet, which consists of formicine ants, centipedes and mites. This can be reason behind the low levels of toxicity displayed by captive-bred poison dart frogs. So, strawberry poison dart frogs are being kept as an exotic pet and are not fed with ants and beetles.

Behavior

The most distinguishing character of strawberry dart frogs is the high level of parental care exhibited by these frogs. After mating, female frogs lay around five eggs on a leaf or bromeliad axil. It takes around seven to ten days for the eggs to hatch and meanwhile, the males carry out the task of hydrating the eggs, by carrying water in his cloaca, on a daily basis. Once the eggs hatch, the females carry each tadpole to different locations Usually, the locations chosen are found to be water filled. The female regularly visits each location and deposits unfertilized eggs for feeding the tadpole. It takes around 30 to 45 days for the tadpoles to metamorphose into froglets.

Strawberry dart frog care mainly includes proper food and temperature settings. They are fed with flightless fruit flies, termites, and vitamin-calcium mix. The temperature has to be warm, i.e. between 70° F to 80° F. While in captivity, they are found to be less toxic, but, you must be very careful, while handling strawberry dart frogs, as they are very fragile. Even though, they are not in the endangered species list, habitat loss is resulting in a fast declining population of these frogs. So, try to save their habitat.