The strawberry poison dart frog lives in rainforests of Central and South America. They are small, brightly colored frogs that secrete powerful toxins through their skin. Males care for eggs and transport tadpoles to water-filled plants. The frogs eat small insects and ants that contain toxins which are excreted in their skin to ward off predators. Their bright colors signal their toxicity. Deforestation is a threat to their habitat.

1. Strawberry Poison Dart
Frogs (Dendrobates Pumilio)
By
Anthony Kessler and
Stephen Feigley

2. Habitat
Rainforest ; cacao and banana groves
Found on the forest floor in leaf litter but
frequently found climbing trees and vines
Females oviposit on the land but later
both sexes transport each tadpole to its
own water-filled bromeliad
Require a moist habitat
Found in Nicaragua 0-940m above sea
level also in Panama and Costa Rica from
0-495m(Animal Diversity2011)

3. Physical Description
Size: Half inch to almost an inch as a full grown
adult; tadpoles are up to 16mm in length
Small body with four unwebbed digits on each
and foot; Large dark eyes
Bright red with blue legs and a glossy moist skin
The Dorsal region can vary from blue yellow
white green black and orange
Tadpoles are Dark brown above and light brown
below with dark spots scattered throughout with
small gills and large mouths with a serrated beak

4. Reproduction
Females tend to chose the frog with the same dorsal color
Males compete by wrestling for the larger territory
Perch height and calling frequency also attracts females
The breeding process takes between 10 to 180 minutes
Breeding occurs throughout the year
Males defend the clutch, remove fungus, rotate eggs and to
ensure the clutch is moist it will urinate on the eggs daily
3-5 fertilized eggs that the male cares for until the egg
becomes a tadpole in 10-14 days then the male transports
them to different bromeliad leafs because the bigger sibling
will consume the younger tadpole
Tadpole must be fed within three days of transport
Females will make daily visits feeding the tadpole 1 to 5
unfertilized eggs
Females will only feed her tadpoles even if solicited by
others
Tadpoles metamorphosis to adults after 43 to 52 days
Both male and females reach maturity at 10 months of age
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/a
mphibians-animals/frogs-and-
toads/frog_strawberrypoisondart_tadpole.html

5. Toxins
Batrachotoxin (sodium channel activators)
-neurotoxin that affects the nervous system by blocking
transmissions to the muscles
Histrionicotoxin (noncompetitive inhibitors of nicotinic channels)
-not as potent as batrachotoxin, affinity for sodium and potassium
channels
Pumiliotoxin (positive modulators of sodium channel)
- interferes muscle contraction in the heart and skeletal muscle,
the toxin works by affecting the calcium channels
-lethal in high concentrations

6. Communication and Perception
Calls Consist of short chirps lasting
5 to 32 seconds
5 to 9 notes per second
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich
.edu/site/resources/naturesongs/de
pu12.wav/view.html

7. Food
Small arthropods
Formicine Ants- contain the toxins which the frogs excrete from skin
Ants
Tadpoles eat unfertilized eggs that the females drop in the water
Mites

8. Predators
Night Ground snakes Kawati
-Uses bright colors to warn predators that -Eats the eggs and tadpoles that were
its poisonous deposited in the bromeliad
-Tadpoles are consumed because their
poison glands are underdeveloped

9. Roles in the Ecosystem
Control the mite and ant population
Protects plants from insects
Tadpoles are a food source for predators

10. Human Impacts
They have no negative impacts to
humans but logging has impacted
them
Dart frogs are very popular in the pet
trade which threatens them due to
illegal capture
Despite the threats the population is
high
Poison is very powerful and offers
significant medical prospects
Native populations use the toxins to
lace arrow heads to aid hunting

11. Endangered Species
-deforestation is a factor in the decline of spdf population
-logging and farming are the reasons for aggressive deforestation
-predation one of the most important impacts to spdf numbers
-the factor with the most effect to then spdf numbers is a fungal disease
(cutaneous chytridiomycosis)
-this fungus effects all amphibians

12. Work Cited
"ADW: Dendrobates Pumilio: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.
<http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dendrobates_pumilio.html>.
 "Dendrobates Pumilio: Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Final)." Hays Cummins' Home Page:
Ecology, Marine Biology, Coral Reefs & Rainforests, Weather, Other Courses, Vita . Web. 26 Oct. 2011.
<http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/fieldcourses02/PapersCostaRicaArticles/Dendrobatespumilio.strawb.h
tml>.
 Dussling, Jennifer. Deadly Poison Dart Frogs. New York, NY: Bearport Pub., 2009. Print. The
"International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry." [IUPAC]IUPAC.org. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.iupac.org/symposia/proceedings/phuket97/daly.html>.
"Poison Dart Frog Fact Sheet - National Zoo| FONZ." Welcome to the National Zoo| FONZ Website -
National Zoo| FONZ. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/amazonia/facts/fact -
poisondartfrog.cfm>.
"Poison Dart Frogs, Poison Dart Frog Pictures, Poison Dart Frog Facts - National Geographic." Animals -
Animal Pictures - Wild Animal Facts - Nat Geo Wild - National Geographic. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.
<http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/poison-frog/>.
"Strawberry Poison Dart Frog | The Nature Conservancy." Nature Conservancy | Protecting
Nature, Preserving Life. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.nature.org/newsfeatures/specialfeatures/animals/amphibians/strawberry -poison-dart-
frog.xml>.
"Strawberry Poison Dart Frog, Fascinating Facts About Its Biology." Rainforest Animals, Tropical
Rainforests, And Other Environmental Issues. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://www.tropical-rainforest-
animals.com/Strawberry-Poison-Dart-Frog.html>.

13. Work Cited (Pictures)
4/1/11 - 5/1/11 ~ View World Beauty. Digital image. View World Beauty. Web. 08 Dec. 2011.
Adam, David. Prince Charles Calls for Emergency Rainforest Funding | Environment | Guardian.co.uk . Digital
image. Latest News, Sport and Comment from the Guardian | The Guardian. Web. 08 Dec. 2011.
Amazon Rainforest. Digital image. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. Formicinae.
Digital image. Tree of Life Web Project. Web. 08 Dec. 2011.
Name, Last. Poison Arrow Poison Dart Frog Strawberry Frog, Dendrobates Pumilio Photographic Print by
Christer Fredriksson at Art.com. Digital image. Art.com - Posters, Art Prints, Framed Art, and Wall Art
Collections. Web. 07 Dec. 2011.
Night Ground Snake (Liophis Epinephelus) | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Digital image. Welcome to Flickr - Photo
Sharing. Web. 07 Dec. 2011.
Oriente 131 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Digital image. Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing. Web. 07 Dec. 2011
Poison Dart Frogs. Digital image. WAYNE'S WORD. Web. 08 Dec. 2011.
Rainforest Deforestation. Digital image. Greenpeace. 29 Feb. 2008. Web. 7 Dec. 2011.
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates Pumilio) Males Wrestling for Territory, Rainforest, Costa Rica
[510364] Stock Photos | Royalty Free | Royalty Free Photos VisualPhotos.com. Digital image. Stock Photos |
Royalty Free | Royalty Free Photos VisualPhotos.com. Web. 08 Dec. 2011.
Ticks, Mites, Etc. Digital image. Animal Identification Guide, with Habitat Information. Web. 08 Dec. 2011.
WOTHE, KONRAD. Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates pumilio) female carrying tadpoles on her
back, Costa Rica. Digital image. National Geographicstock.com. National Geographic, 18 Apr. 2002. Web.

14. Pictures Continued
• "Google Images." Google. 09 Sept. 2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2011.
• “Dendrobates Azureus Eggs” Flickr Photo Sharing. Welcome to Flickr
Photo Sharing. 10 Oct. 2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2011.

15. Work Cited (Sounds/Videos)
Sounds:
"ADW: Depu12.wav." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 07 Dec. 2011.
<http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/naturesongs/depu12
.wav/view.html>.
Videos:
Video -- Strawberry Poison Dart Frog -- National Geographic. Video --
Animals, Travel, Kids -- National Geographic. Web. 07 Dec. 2011.
<http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/amphibians-
animals/frogs-and-toads/frog_strawberrypoisondart_tadpole.html>.

16. Thanks for listening!