Golden poison frog
Golden poison frog | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Family: | Dendrobatidae |
Genus: | Phyllobates |
Species: | P. terribilis
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Binomial name | |
Phyllobates terribilis |
The golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis), also known as the golden dart frog or golden poison arrow frog, is a poison dart frog endemic to the rainforests of Colombia. The golden poison frog has become endangered due to habitat destruction within its naturally limited range. Despite its small size, this frog is considered to be the most poisonous extant animal species on the planet.
Taxonomy and etymology
The golden poison frog was described as Phyllobates terribilis in 1978 by herpetologists Charles W. Myers and Borys Malkin as well as biochemist John W. Daly;[3] the species name terribilis is a reference to the deadly toxins present in the skin secretions of this species.[2] Myers' research was based on hundreds of specimens collected on an expedition to the Quebrada Guangui and La Brea regions of the Colombian rainforest, and a breeding colony of 18 frogs established at the American Museum of Natural History.[2][4]
Distribution and habitat
The golden poison frog is
Description
The golden poison frog is the largest species of the
Yellow
The yellow morph is the reason Phyllobates terribilis has the common name golden poison frog. These frogs can be pale yellow to deep, golden yellow in color. Yellow Phyllobates terribilis specimens are found in Quebrada Guangui, Colombia.[12]
Mint green
The largest morph of Phyllobates terribilis exists in the La Brea and La Sirpa areas in Colombia; despite the name "mint green" these frogs can be metallic green, pale green, or white.[2][12]
Orange
Orange examples of Phyllobates terribilis exist in Colombia, as well. They tend to be a metallic orange or yellow-orange in color, with varying intensity. They have been observed living near yellow specimens in Quebrada Guangui, Colombia, and it is unclear to what extent these represent an individual subpopulation or locality distinct from the yellow morph.[2]
Orange blackfoot
The orange blackfoot morph is a captive bred line established by Tesoros de Colombia, a Colombian company that aims to reduce poaching of wild dart frogs by breeding rare species and flooding the pet trade with low cost animals to decrease the value of wild specimens to poachers.[10] This morph is golden yellow to a deep orange. They have dark markings on their feet, throat, vent, and rump that range from distinct black to nearly absent or speckled grey.[10]
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Yellow
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Mint green
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Orange
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Orange blackfoot
Ecology and behavior
The frog is normally diurnal; golden poison frogs live evenly spaced without forming larger congregations.[9]
Diet
This species is an unspecialized ambush hunter; an adult frog can eat food items much larger in relation to its size than most other dendrobatids.[9][13] The main natural sources of food of P. terribilis are the ants in the genera Brachymyrmex and Paratrechina, but many kinds of insects and other small invertebrates can be eaten, specifically termites and beetles, which can easily be found on the rainforest floor.[citation needed] Tadpoles feed on algae, mosquito larvae, and other edible material that may be present in their environment.[citation needed]
Breeding
Synthesis
Golden poison frogs appear to rely on the consumption of small insects or other arthropods to synthesize batrachotoxin; frogs kept in captivity fed on commercially available feeder insects will eventually lose their toxicity, and frogs bred in captivity are considered non-toxic.[9][4] It is not clear which prey species supplies the potent alkaloid that gives golden poison frogs their exceptionally high levels of toxicity, or whether the frogs modify another available toxin to produce a more efficient variant, as do some of the frogs from the genus Dendrobates.[22] Scientists have suggested the crucial prey item may be a small beetle from the family Melyridae. At least one species of these beetles produces the same toxin found in golden poison frogs. Their relatives in Colombian rainforests could be the source of the batrachotoxins found in the highly toxic Phyllobates frogs of that region.[19][23]
Use by indigenous people
Golden poison frogs are a very important frog to the local indigenous cultures, such as the Emberá and Cofán people in Colombia's rainforest.[4] The frog is the main source of the poison in the darts used by the natives to hunt their food. The Emberá people carefully expose the frog to the heat of a fire, and the frog exudes small amounts of poisonous fluid. The tips of arrows and darts are soaked in the fluid, and remain deadly for two years or longer.[13]
In captivity
The golden poison frog is a popular vivarium subject due to its bright color and bold personality in captivity.[10][11][9] Despite its dangerous toxicity in the wild, captive specimens raised without their natural food sources are non-toxic in captivity.[11] Due to their small range in the wild, poaching for the pet trade formerly represented a serious threat to the survival of the species. Due to efforts of frog breeders like Tesoros de Colombia, captive bred frogs are now widely available for the pet trade. As these specimens are legal, non-toxic, healthier, and less expensive when compared to poached animals, the demand for illegally obtained wild caught specimens has decreased.[10] Today, the IUCN estimates that the majority of golden poison frogs sold for the pet trade are legally produced from captive lines, and estimates the threat from collection for the pet trade to be small.[1]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ hdl:2246/1286.
- ^ . Retrieved 8 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Phyllobates terribilis". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
- ^ Acosta-Galvis, A.R. (2014). "Phyllobates terribilis Myers, Daly, & Malkin, 1978". Lista de los Anfibios de Colombia V12.2022. batrachia.com. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
- ^ "Golden Poison Frog | National Geographic". Animals. 10 September 2010. Archived from the original on 26 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Largest poison-dart frog species". Guinness World Records. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- PMID 11353830.
- ^ )
- ^ a b c d e "How one man is working to save one of the world's most poisonous animals". Animals. 29 November 2018. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ a b c Clare, John (16 May 2012). "Care Tips For The Golden Dart Frog - Reptiles Magazine". Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ CiteSeerX 10.1.1.845.8708.
- ^ a b "Atlas Dr. Pez : Phyllobates terribilis". Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2007.
- ^ a b "Poison frogs". Smithsonian's National Zoo. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ "Poison Frog | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants". animals.sandiegozoo.org. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Golden Poison Frog". American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
- ^ a b c "Dart poison frogs and their toxins". ResearchGate.
- S2CID 205127015.
- ^ PMID 15520388.
- PMID 34351379.
- ^ Alvarez, Mariela C.; Wiley, Mary. "Phyllobates terribilis". Animal Diversity Web.
- ^ a b "USATODAY.com - Most poisonous creature could be a mystery insect". usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
- ^ "WonderQuest: Most poisonous animal, Contentious ethanol debate, Do fish sleep?". 30 October 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013.