Golfo-Dulce Poison Frog: phyllobates vittatus
The 4th poisonous of the Genus Phyllobates.
Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Dendrobatidae
Description and Behavior: The Golfo-Dulce Poison Frog is a comparatively large poison frog, with adults measuring at 3.5 centimeters, females generally larger than males. Unlike other frogs, their shoulder blades aren't visible, and their back is sloping. Their back and most of their body is black, slightly shiny from the chemical pigment in its skin and with tiny bumps. Its legs are solid blue, and their sides a marbled blue and black. Their most noticeble feature, however, are two bright orange stripes running up their back and meeting in a 'V' at their nose. Females lay 10-25 eggs a week, and the male carries them around on his back when they hatch after 18 days for 2 months until they become small frogs. They are diurnal and terrestrial.
Threats: Because of habitat loss, the Golfo-Dulce Poison Frog is classified as Endangered.
Habitat: The Golfo-Dulce Poison Frog lives on the Golf-Dulce Peninsula in Southwestern Costa Rica on the Pacific Coast. They inhabit the tropical rainforest and forests, rivers, and coast on the peninsula. They live at elevations of 20-550 meters (65-1,800 feet).
Poison: Like all members of its Genus, the Golfo-Dulce Poison Frog has neurotoxic alkaloid poisons in its skin. It can cause severe pain, and even seizures or paralysis if a lot of poison is absorbed. Because of its large size, it can store large amounts of poison, and it advertises its poison with its bright colors. The Golfo-Dulce Poison Frogs in captivity don't possess the poison, which suggests an outside source of its poison.
Photo Credits:
http://www-tc.pbs.org/wnet/nature/files/2015/01/IMG_1059.jpg
http://th01.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2012/057/a/4/dyeing_poison_frog_by_keldbach-d29vhjw.jpg
http://i1.wp.com/www.joshsfrogs.com/catalog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/phyllobates-vittatus.jpg
http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/cr/600/costa_rica_osa_0570.jpg