Page 59 - Amphibian

This green
mantella, first
described in 1988,
is from Madagascar,
where habitat destruction
is a problem. It is important
to know about new species
so they can be protected
(pp. 60–61)
FASCINATING FROGS
Poison-dart frogs make
up a fascinating group. Some
are brightly colored and highly
poisonous, having complex chemicals
in their skin. These frogs range in size from
the very small (at 0.6 in, or 1.5 cm long) to larger
Bright black ones (up to 2 in, 5 cm), like the two highly colored frogs
and red stripes sitting on the leaves (right). Poison-darts are social animals,
make this frog with complex territorial, courtship, and mating behaviors.
more visible, to
warn away enemies POISONED DARTS
The Choco Indians,
who live in western
LIFE IN THE PENTHOUSE Colombia in South
This spotted poison-dart frog America, poison the
was discovered in 1984. It is tips of their
found 48–65 ft (15–20 m) up blowpipe darts with
in the treetops of the the toxin from
cloud forests of Panama. poison-dart frogs.
There may be many They remove the
more high-level, tree-living toxin by heating the
species of amphibians live frog over a
waiting to be discovered. campfire. Only a few
species are used, but
one is so poisonous
(pp. 60–61) that the
dart has only to be
wiped against the
Poison-dart live frog’s back for it
frogs are social to be deadly.
animals, living
in small groups
When colors
HAWAIIAN
HOLIDAY develop, the poison
This metallic develops too
green poison-
dart frog from
Costa Rica,
Panama, and
Colombia has
been introduced
into the islands
of Hawaii and,
like some of the
other species, has also
been bred in captivity. TOXIC
TADPOLES
Poison-dart frogs
carry their tadpoles,
INSECT SIZE AND SOUND often one at a time, to
One of the smallest poison-dart frogs (under Yellow and black small isolated pools,
0.75 in, 2 cm), this species was discovered are warning colors, where they develop
in 1980 in isolated patches of forests in the as in this poison-dart their colors and
Andes Mountains. Its scientific name frog and in the fire skin poisons as
means “buzzer,” after its insect-like call. salamander (pp. 14–15) they grow.

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