Life History of Dendrobates pumilio

KEYWORDS: Dendrobatidae, Habitat, Diet, Life History, Conservation, Distribution, Dendrobates pumilio, Central America, Reproduction, Poison-Dart Frog.

Considered some of the smallest vertebrates in the world, the members of Dendrobatidae, or poison-dart frogs, have a wide distribution throughout the southern parts of Central America and produce a diverse population throughout these areas. As their name indicates, Strawberry poison-dart frogs (Dendrobates pumilio) are some of the most toxic organisms in the world, and their diverse bright color schemes are prominent general indicators of their toxicity.

Description and Identification

An extremely small amphibian, the Strawberry poison-dart frog averages roughly 20 mm in length (Sandmeier, 2001) and weighs 8.5 grams (National Aquarium, 2014). The distinctive coloration of the members of Dendrobates pumilio is highly variable, ranging from bright red (Figure 1), to spotted blue, to yellow, and other various striped colors (Milligan, 2008); this coloration is representative of their toxicity and a warning display for possible predators (Bristol Zoo Gardens, 2014). Strawberry poison-dart frogs do not express any form of sexual dimorphism, with males and females exhibiting similar, nearly identical physical appearances and statures, though males tend to exhibit brighter coloration to attract potential mates; tadpoles reach 11 mm in size when approaching metamorphosis (Sandmeier, 2001).

Distribution and Abundance

Specimens of Strawberry poison-dart frogs are widely distributed throughout Puerto Rico and the southern parts of Central America, with high population densities seen in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama (Figure 2) (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natu...

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