Green and black Poison-Dart Frog
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Green and black Poison-Dart Frog
The largest of the poison dart frogs is the Dendrobates auratus (Green and black poison-dart frog). Like other poison dart frogs the Green and black poison-dart frog is easily recognizable by their bright coloration, which appears to advertise the presence of skin toxins. This frog averages 1½ inches in length. It is also the only frog in Costa Rica with a variable design of yellow-green, bluish-green, or blue spots on a black background.
The range of the Green and black poison-dart frog is from southern Nicaragua to northwestern Colombia, from sea level to approximately 2,600 ft. In Costa Rica, it is found mostly in the rainforests on the Caribbean coast, although they have also been spotted on the southern Pacific coast.
This species of frog is timid and usually found deeper in the forest interior than the other two species of poison-dart frogs found in Costa Rica. Normally, these frogs are very lively in the early morning hours, especially after it has rained. Males are in constant motion, either protecting their territory from competing males or attracting a potential mate by its fairly high-pitched, insectlike call.
In all three species of poison-dart frogs found in Costa Rica, the female selects the male in regards to reproductive behavior. Normally, in the other two species, the female will nudge the selected male, but with this particular frog, the female will blatantly jump on the back of the male, prodding him with her hands to show interest. When these frogs mate, they do not face each other as most frog and toad species do, instead the partners face opposite directions, with their vents in contact. The eggs of the female are fertilized outside of her body as soon as they emerge. The female lays 4-6 eggs at a time in a moist area on the forest floor. If the eggs of this species do not hatch at relatively the same time, size differences may occur between tadpoles of the same clutch; and often the largest tadpole will eat his smaller brothers and sisters. Tadpoles eat insect larvae, algae, detritus, protozoans and as noted, sometimes each other.
The male of this species will carry a single tadpole on his back to an appropriate small body of water, such as a water-filled tree hole or a water-filled bromeliad. When the tadpole-carrying male locates a potentially suitable basin, he investigates the site and goes for a swim. Once approved, the male floats vertically in the water with its legs spread while the tadpole wiggles free. After approximately 9-15 weeks, the tadpoles complete metamorphosis and materialize as dull-colored replicas of their parents.
