Dyeing poison dart frog
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Dyeing poison dart frog | |
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D. tinctorius "yellow back" | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Family: | Dendrobatidae |
Genus: | Dendrobates |
Species: | D. tinctorius
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Binomial name | |
Dendrobates tinctorius (Cuvier, 1797)
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Distribution of the five Dendrobates species, with D. tinctorius in purple |
The dyeing poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius), also known as the cobalt poison frog, tinc (a nickname given by those in the hobby of keeping dart frogs), or dyeing poison frog, is a species of poison dart frog. It is among the most variably colored and largest species of poison dart frogs, typically reaching snout–vent lengths of about 50 mm (2.0 in). It is distributed in the eastern portion of the Guiana Shield, including parts of French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Brazil.[1]
Etymology
The specific name, tinctorius, comes, however, not from the variety of colors, but from the legends of some indigenous tribes. It has been said that tribe members used the frog poisons to cause green parrot feathers to grow different colors.
Distribution and habitat
The dyeing poison dart frog exists in discrete patches of the eastern
Description
The dyeing poison dart frog is large for a poison dart frog, but may be smaller than
Males are typically smaller and more slender than females, but they have larger toe discs. The toe discs of female dyeing poison dart frogs are circular while those of the males are heart-shaped. Also the females have arched backs as opposed to males who have curved ones.
Morphs
Dendrobates tinctorius is one of the most variably colored and patterned of all poison dart frogs, with more than 30 recognized variants or morphs. Each main variant or morph is unique to a locality or region, although there is also a level of individual variation in each. Typically, the body is primarily black, with an irregular pattern of yellow or whitish stripes running along the back, upper flanks and head, and an irregular pattern of blue stripes on the lower flanks, belly and throat. The legs typically are blue peppered with small black; the blue ranges from pale blue, sky blue or blue-gray to royal blue, cobalt blue, navy blue or greenish blue. In some variants or morphs, however, the body and legs may be primarily blue (as in the "azureus" of southern Suriname, now usually considered a morph of the dyeing poison dart frog), primarily yellow, or primarily whitish. The "Matécho" morph from Saül, French Guiana, is mostly yellow and with some black, with only a few specks of white on the toes and sometimes whitish on the underparts. Another variant, the "Citronella" morph from the vicinity of Kasikasima, Suriname, is primarily deep yellow with some black blotches on the back and head, and royal blue legs and underparts with tiny black spots.[6][7] Despite the large variation in appearance, the genetic differences between the different populations of the dyeing poison dart frog are very marginal.[8]
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D. tinctorius "Patricia"
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In Roura, French Guiana
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D. tinctorius "Regina"
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D. tinctorius "Powder Blue"
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D. tinctorius "Giant Orange"
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D. tinctorius "Citronella"
Poison
Like most species of the genus Dendrobates, D. tinctorius is highly toxic if consumed. It produces pumiliotoxins and allopumiliotoxins that the frog uses for self-defense. While pumiliotoxins are weaker than their derivative allopumiliotoxins and the batrachotoxins secreted by Phyllobates species, they are sufficiently toxic to discourage most animals from feeding on them. In the case of D. tinctorius, the toxins cause pain, cramping, and stiffness when the frogs are handled roughly. Due to the toxins of the frogs, animals that feed on D. tinctorius will typically learn to associate the bright colours of such frogs with the vile taste and pain that occurs after a frog is ingested. As it is such a variable species, different color variants of D. tinctorius have varying degrees of toxicity and many can cause serious effects on humans including death.
In the northwest of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, there was a report of envenomation by this species. The patients were two photographers, 47 and 30 years old and both men. One photographer quickly captured the frog and held it for about five seconds with his own hands, before releasing it and washing his hands in a nearby stream. The other photographer kept the frog from moving by placing both his hands on top. Neither of them suffered hand injuries. Both photographed the poison dart frog for about five minutes without touching it again. However, 20 minutes after the first contact, the photographer who initially handled it began to feel
The main alkaloid carried by this species is pumiliotoxin (PTX), which is highly toxic. PTX interferes with the muscle contractions by affecting the
References
- ^ . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- . Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- S2CID 13669947.
- PMID 34257942.
- ^ a b "Dyeing Poison Dart Frog". frogsandco.com. 2 April 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Dendrobates tinctorius - Morphguide" (in German). tinctorius.ch. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ S2CID 51861356.
- ^ PMID 33338114.
Further reading
- Ringler, Eva; Rojas, Bibiana; Ringler, Max; Hödl, Walter (October 2012). "Characterization of Nine Polymorphic Micro Satellite Loci in the Dyeing Poison Frog Dendrobates Tinctorius (Dendrobatidae), and Their Cross-Species Utility in Two Other Dendrobatoid Species". The Herpetological Journal. 22 (4): 263–265. ISSN 0268-0130.