Error message
Unable to fetch location details at this time.
Fantastic Poison Frog
Ranitomeya fantastica
47.6038, -122.33
Field Notes
Description:
This one-inch long poison frog from the Alto Caynarachi valley in the Andean hills above the north-central Peruvian Amazon is one of the most beautiful frogs on the earth.
Habitat:
Semi-arboreal and found in primary rainforests, these frogs breed in tree holes and bromeliads. The male will carry his tadpole offspring on his back and deposit them in phytotelmata (i.e. small pools of water held by terrestrial plants). There, the carnivorous tadpoles will eat mosquito larvae and other critters that blunder their way into the tadpole's maws.
Notes:
Rare and often difficult to find in nature, this specimen is a prized pet of mine and he and his girlfriend have been producing lots of tadpoles lately. They live and love in a spacious terrarium filled with tropical plants.
Comments (13)