Phantasmal poison dart frog
Phantasmal poison dart frogs are a species of poison frog native to Ecuador
Species
Amphibians
Habitat
Rainforest
Diet
Insectivores
Conservation Status
Vulnerable
Phantasmal poison dart frog
Epipedobates tricolor
Irish Name: Frog nimhe fantaiseach
ICUN Status: Vulnerable
Phantasmal poison dart frogs are a species of poison frog native to Ecuador. Adults are typically a dark, rusty red while juveniles and sub-adults are closer to a brown. Both adults and juveniles have 2 to 3 orange or yellow stripes running down their back. These frogs are very small, even when fully grown. Adults typically measure just over 2 centimetres in length.
Frogs are part of the class Amphibia, commonly known as amphibians. Amphibians have very thin porous skin, meaning they need to keep their skin wet. As a result, most live in warm, wet climates and produce mucous to keep in moisture. They are ectothermic (cold-blooded) which means their internal body temperature is regulated by their external environment. Amphibians lay soft eggs which must be kept moist. The offspring hatch as tadpoles, which go through several stages of metamorphosis (extreme change between growth stages) before reaching adulthood.
General Information
Zoo location
Zoorassic World
Animal class
Amphibia
Animal order
Anura
Where do they live (Natural habitat)?
The phantasmal poison dart frog inhabits the Chocoan tropical and sub-tropical rainforests of Ecuador. They are most commonly found in amongst the leaf litter on the forest floor, often near streams and wetland areas.
How long do they live?
Phantasmal poison dart frogs typically live for between 8 and 10 years in the wild, but have been known to live up to 14 years in human care.
What do they eat?
Phantasmal poison dart frogs are insectivores, meaning their diet consists mainly of small terrestrial invertebrates (animals without backbones). These include ants, termites, small beetles, springtails and flies. Despite their small size, phantasmal poison dart frogs can consume prey of a similar size to themselves.
Group name
The collective name for a group of frogs is an ‘army’ or a ‘bundle’.
Closest related species / sister species
Phantasmal poison dart frogs are most closely related to other frogs in the family Dendrobatidae, which includes all poison dart frogs.
Fun Facts!
The Phantasmal poison dart frog
Behaviours
Phantasmal poison dart frogs are diurnal, meaning they are most active during the day. Males will vocalise throughout the day to attract females and ward off potential rival males.
While large groups of frogs will often live together in a small area, both males and females can be territorial. To protect their territories, frogs will jump at and cling to each other, leading to short “wrestling matches”, after which dominant and subordinate individuals are established.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Phantasmal poison frogs reach maturity between 6 and 10 months of age. They lay soft eggs, typically in clutches of 10, in large leaves where they can be kept moist and guarded by the males. Once the eggs hatch, the male will carry the tadpoles on his back to small pools of water where they will grow and feed.
Though they live in groups, they will often form permanent pairs. A male will attract a female by making an assortment of trills and croaks.
Phantasmal poison dart frogs typically live for between 8 and 10 years in the wild, but have been known to live up to 14 years in human care.
Adaptations
As the name suggests, phantasmal poison dart frogs produce a toxin to protect themselves from predators. They produce a poison known as epibatidine in glands in their skin, which can be transferred to another animal that touches or eats the frog. This poison can cause paralysis or even death in higher doses.
As well as the poison, dart frogs are brightly coloured to warn predators of their toxicity. Many poisonous animals are brightly coloured for this purpose. This is known as aposematism.
The poison produced by the phantasmal poison dart frog contains alkaloids, which they absorb from the prey they consume. In human care, the frogs are not poisonous as they are fed different species of insect that do not contain these alkaloids.
Conservation
Vulnerable
Phantasmal poison dart frogs are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.
Current population estimate
Though it is common in some places, other populations are known to have disappeared completely. The phantasmal poison dart frog is only found across 5 to 10 locations in Ecuador.
Due to the decline in extent and quality of their habitat, it is expected that the total wild population is decreasing.
Threats
Phantasmal poison dart frogs are largely impacted by habitat loss as a result of deforestation for agriculture. Pollution also presents a problem for them and other amphibians, as they absorb pollutants in water through their skin leading to health issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Amphibians such as frogs, toads, and newts have soft, thin skin that must be kept moist by producing mucous and staying in wet environments. They lay soft eggs in water or moist areas, which then hatch into tadpoles. The tadpoles go through several major changes – known as metamorphosis – before they reach their adult form.
Reptiles such as snakes, lizards, and crocodiles have thick skin covered in scales, allowing them to live far from water. Many reptile species are adapted to live in dry climates that amphibians could not survive in. Most reptiles lay hard-shelled eggs. The young typically look like smaller versions of the adults.
Both reptiles and amphibians are ectothermic or “cold blooded”. This means that their internal body temperature is controlled by their external environment.
Ireland is home to 3 species of amphibians: the common frog, the natterjack toad, and the smooth newt. They are found across the country, most frequently in wetlands and bogs. However, all Irish amphibians are threatened by habitat loss, pollution such as pesticides, and climate change.
Poison is ingested, while venom is injected. In other words, if you bite something and get sick, it’s poisonous. But if something bites you and you get sick, it’s venomous.
Examples of poisonous animals include some frogs and pufferfish, while examples of venomous animals include spiders, some snakes, and blue-ringed octopus.
In most frog species, it is only the males who make noise. This is the case for the phantasmal poison dart frog. These noises, or vocalisations, include ribbiting, trills, hisses, and croaks.
There are over 8,000 known species of frog, with over 150 new ones discovered every year. Frogs make up almost 90% of all known amphibians.
There are about 200 known species of poison dart frog. All species are native to South America.
As the name suggests, poison dart frogs produce a toxin in glands in their skin called epibatidine which can cause paralysis and even death. However, this poison can only be picked up if the frog is touched. In human care, the frogs are not poisonous as the chemicals to produce their poison are absorbed from their food in the wild. They are given different insects to eat in human care, and so cannot produce the poison.
Metamorphosis is the process by which an animal goes through great change during its growth, often with distinct stages at different points in their life. Frogs begin life as a tadpole, before growing legs, losing their tails, and reaching their adult forms. A caterpillar turning into a butterfly is another well-known example of metamorphosis.
Phantasmal poison dart frogs are quite small, growing to only just over 2 centimetres long.
In the wild, phantasmal poison dart frogs typically live to between 8 and 10 years of age. In human care, they’ve been known to live for up to 14 years.
The only animal known to regularly feed on poison dart frogs is the fire-bellied sickness, which has evolved to be resistant to the frogs’ poison.
