CENTRAL / SOUTH AMERICAN POISONOUS FROGS

Dendrobates pumilio

Family: Dendrobatidae Genus: Dendrobates Species: pumilio Common Names Flaming Poison-Arrow Frog , Strawberry Poison-Arrow Frog , Flaming Poison Frog , Strawberry Poison Frog , Red and Blue Poison Frog Countries Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama
	Species Distribution Map	Photos copyright Chris van der Lingen

Taxonomy and Biology

Adult length: 18mm

Description

Various colour and pattern morphs exist for this species.
a) The Costa Rican morph has head and body dorsum and flanks bright red, with or without some irregular black dotting, flecking or spotting. Arms and legs are bright blue or black or mottled bright blue and black with or without some bright red pigment on upper arms and legs. Head venter and ventral surface of body are usually red or occasionally red with some blue pigment. In some specimens the blue pigment may be replaced by purple in this morph.
b) Panamanian specimens tend to have a head and body dorsum and flanks more orange or orange red with more distinct black spotting and less or no blue pigment on arms and legs. The arms and legs tend to be similar to the pattern of the dorsal body surface. Head venter and ventral surface colour is usually orange or reddish.
c) Panamanian island morphs ( especially Bastimentos Island ) tend to have dorsal surface head and body and flank colour yellowish brown, orange to reddish with distinct black or brown spotting. Upper arms and legs are similar to dorsum colour but lower limb colour may be white with brown to black spots. Ventral surface colour may be white, yellow, yellowish brown or orange to reddish.
d) A blue with black speckling morph is present in Panama.
e) Another island morph ( Colon Island ) has a bluish or greenish head and body dorsum with distinct black spots ( which may fuse to form stripes ). Flanks grade into yellow with black spotting. Arms and legs are whitish or yellowish with brown spots. Fingers and toes are usually whitish and ventral surface colour is white to yellow.

Habitat

Lowland and premontane rainforest up to an elevation of about 1000 metres.

Habits

Diurnal and terrestrial frog that inhabits the forest floor leaf litter.

Prey

Feeds mainly on ants, mites and insect larvae.

Poison Activity

Poison Type: Histrionicotoxins, Pumiliotoxins, Decahydroquinolines, Pyrrolizidines, Indolizidines, Quinolizidines, Pyrrolizidine Oximes