Tree frogs, also known as tree frogs, are the most colorful members of the amphibian order, ranging in color from yellow and green to red and blue mixed with black. Such a bright range is not just a freak of nature, it is a signal for predators, warning of danger. By releasing a poisonous toxin that can paralyze, stun and kill even a large animal, tree frogs have firmly established themselves in the impenetrable tropical forests of Central and South America, where high humidity and a huge biodiversity of insects allow them to survive for more than 200 million years. Appearing on Earth at the same time as dinosaurs, frogs demonstrate an extraordinary adaptation to the environment - painted in all the colors of the rainbow, they are almost invisible among the lush vegetation and inedible for most representatives of the fauna.
- Amerindians, have long learned to benefit from poison dart frogs, using it as a deadly substance to lubricate the tips of their hunting darts. Having pierced the frog with a stick, the Indians first held it over the fire, and then collected the droplets of poison that appeared on the skin of the animal into a container, after which they dipped the arrows in a viscous liquid. This is where another name for poisonous tree frogs came from - dart frogs.
Unusual facts from the life of poisonous poison dart frogs
- Among the 175 brightly colored tree frog species, only three pose a threat to humans, the rest imitate toxicity with their appearance, although they are not poisonous.
- The size of dangerous tree frogs reaches 2-5 cm, and females are larger than males.
- Tree frogs climb trees thanks to rounded ends on their legs, resembling suction cups. Making circular movements with their limbs, they easily move along the sheer plane of the tree trunk.
- Poison poison dart frogs prefer to live alone, carefully guarding the boundaries of their territory, and converge only during the mating season after reaching 2 years of age.
- Tree frogs acquire their bright color with age, frogs always have a nondescript brown color.
- The frog's body does not produce poison - it adsorbs the toxins of small insects. Poisonous secretions appear on the skin of an amphibian at the moment of danger and are due to a specific "diet", which includes ants, flies, and beetles. Tree frogs, raised in captivity, far from their natural habitat and deprived of their usual food, are absolutely harmless.
- Dart frogs are both diurnal and nocturnal, climb the ground and trees, and use a long sticky tongue when hunting.
- The life cycle of tree frogs is 5-7 years, in captivity - 10-15 years.
Yellow poison dart frog
Inhabiting the Andean foothills - in the coastal zones of southwestern Colombia, the most poisonous frog in the world - a terrible leaf climber ( Phyllobates terribilis )
, prefers growing on rocks 300-600 m above sea level. The leafy litter under the crowns of trees near the reservoir is a favorite place for the most dangerous vertebrate animal in the world - yellow-gold tree frogs, whose poison can kill 10 people at a time.
The distribution zone of the strawberry-colored tree frog (Andinobates geminisae), 1.5 cm in size, from the family of poisonous leaf climbers, first found in 2011, is the jungles of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. The red-orange palette of the body of an unusual amphibian is adjacent to the bright blue on the hind legs and black marks on the head. After the terrible golden leaf climber, the red tree frog ranks second in the world in terms of toxicity.
Okopipee blue poison frog
In 1968, the sky blue tree frog Dendrobatus azureus was first discovered by scientists in humid tropical areas. A bright shade of cobalt or azure sapphire with black and white splashes is the classic coloring of Okopipi. The poisonous tree frog got its name from local natives a long time ago - unlike scientists, it has been familiar to the Amerindians for many centuries. The distribution area of \u200b\u200ba unusual vertebrate is the relict rainforests surrounding the Sipaliwini savanna, stretching through the southern regions of Suriname and Brazil. According to scientists, the blue dart frog was, as it were, “mothballed” in this area during the last Ice Age, when part of the jungle turned into a grassy plain. It is surprising that Okopipi cannot swim like all amphibians, and she gets the necessary moisture in the wet thickets of the rainforest.
The area of distribution of the red-eyed tree frog - Agalychnis callidryas, is quite extensive: from Northern Colombia, through the entire central part of America, to the southern tip of Mexico. This species of amphibians lives mainly in the lowlands of Costa Rica and Panama. The coloring of the “big-eyed” poison dart frog is the most intense in the family of tailless vertebrates - neon spots of blue and orange are scattered on a bright green background. But the eyes of this amphibian are especially noteworthy - scarlet, with a vertical narrow pupil, they help a harmless little frog scare away predators.
In the east of the continent, there is another type of red-eyed frog - Litoria chloris - the owner of a rich light green color with yellow patches. Both types of tree frogs are not poisonous despite their expressive “outfit” and piercing eyes.
Interesting to know! Many animals have showy coloration, a warning color evolved to ward off predators and indicate the toxicity of its owner. As a rule, this is a combination of contrasting colors: black and yellow, red and blue or others, a striped or teardrop-shaped pattern - even those predators who are naturally color blind can distinguish such colors. In addition to the catchy color scheme, miniature animals have large eyes that are incommensurable with the dimensions of the body, which in the dark creates the illusion of a large organism. This survival trait is called aposematism.
Medical uses of tree frog venom
Research scientists on the pharmacological use of frog toxins began in 1974 - then at the US National Institutes of Health, experiments were first conducted with Dendrobatid (Dendrobatid) and Epidatidine (Epidatidine), the main components of tree frog venom. It turned out that in its analgesic properties, one substance is 200 times greater than morphine, and the other is 120 times greater than nicotine. In the mid-90s, a scientist at Abbott Labs. managed to create a synthetic version of epidatidin - ABT-594, which significantly reduces pain, but does not lull like opiates. The American Museum of Natural History team also analyzed 300 alkaloids found in tree frog venom and determined that some of them are effective for neuralgia and muscle dysfunction.
- The largest frog in the world is the goliath (Conraua goliath) from West Africa, its body length (excluding legs) is about 32-38 cm, weight is almost 3.5 kg. The giant amphibian lives in Cameroon and Guinea, on the sandy banks of the African rivers Sanaga and Benito.
- The smallest frog in the world is a tree toad from Cuba, it grows 1.3 cm in length.
- In total, there are about 6 thousand species of frogs in the world, but every year scientists find more and more new species.
- A toad is the same frog, only its skin is dry, unlike frogs, and covered with warts, and its hind legs are shorter.
- The frog sees perfectly at night and is sensitive to even the slightest movement, in addition, the location and shape of the eyes allows it to perfectly survey the area not only in front and on the sides of itself, but also partially behind.
- Thanks to their long hind legs, frogs can jump up to 20 times their body length. The Costa Rican tree frog has webbed toes between its hind and fore feet, a peculiar aerodynamic device that helps it float in the air as it jumps from one branch to another.
- Like all amphibians, frogs are cold-blooded - their body temperature changes in direct proportion to environmental parameters. When the air temperature drops to a critical level, they burrow underground and remain in suspended animation until spring. Even if 65% of the tree frog's body is frozen, it will survive by increasing the concentration of glucose in vital organs. Another example of survivability is demonstrated by the Australian desert frog - it can survive without water for about 7 years.
New types of frogs and toads found in the world
Recently, a new species of golden tree frog has been discovered in the highlands of western Panama. Scientists were able to spot the amphibian in the dense foliage because of an unusual loud croak, unlike any previously studied. When zoologists caught the animal, a yellow coloring pigment began to appear on its paws. There was a fear that the secretions were poisonous, but after a series of tests, it turned out that the bright yellow mucus did not contain any toxins. A strange feature of the frog helped the scientific team come up with a scientific name for it - Diasporus citrinobapheus, which conveys the essence of its behavior in Latin. Another new species of poisonous frogs, Andinobates geminisae, was found by scientists in Panama (Doroso, Colon Province), in the upper reaches of the Rio Canyo River. According to experts, the neon-orange frog is on the verge of extinction, since its habitat is extremely small.
On the island of Sulawesi near the Philippine archipelago, a scientific team discovered the existence of a large number of clawed frogs - 13 species, and 9 of them were hitherto unknown to science. Differences are observed in the body size of amphibians, the size and number of spurs on the hind legs. Due to the fact that this species is the only one on the island, nothing prevents it from breeding and multiplying, unlike its relatives in the Philippines, where spur frogs compete with another species - amphibians of the Platymantis family. The rapid growth in the number of island anurans clearly demonstrates the correctness of the concept of adaptive distribution of Charles Darwin, described on the example of finches from the Galapagos archipelago.
Biodiversity of frogs on Earth
- Vietnam. About 150 species of amphibian animals are distributed here; in 2003, 8 new species of frogs were found on the territory of the country.
- Venezuela. The exotic state is sometimes called the "lost world" - many mesas that are difficult for researchers to reach are distinguished by endemic flora and fauna. In 1995, a group of scientists undertook a helicopter expedition to the Sierra Yavi, Guanay and Yutaye mountains, where 3 species of frogs unknown to science were found.
- Tanzania. A new species of tree frog, Leptopelis barbouri, has been discovered in the Ujungwa Mountains.
- Papua New Guinea. Over the past decade, 50 unstudied species of anurans have been found here.
- Northeastern regions of the USA. Habitat of a rare spider-like toad.
- Madagascar. The island is home to 200 species of frogs, of which 99% are endemic - unique species that are not found anywhere else. The latest discovery of scientists - narrow-mouthed toad, was discovered through a study of the soil and leafy cover of the jungle, during which it was possible to identify amphibian excrement.
- Colombia. The most outstanding discovery of scientists in this region is the species of tree frog Colostethus atopoglossus, which lives only on the eastern slopes of the Andes, in El Boquerón.
Argentina, Bolivia, Guyana, Tanzania and many other countries with tropical climates and rugged landscapes are regions where scientists are constantly finding new subspecies of animals, including tailless amphibians - frogs. Owners of miniature sizes, arboreal representatives of the amphibian order are not only the smallest, but also the most dangerous animals in the world - modern zoologists are becoming more and more convinced of this.
In contact with
Very often in nature external charm is combined with danger. Animals with their bright colors do not always seek to attract the attention of the opposite sex. In most cases, this is a warning to enemies. This effect is common mainly in amphibians, for example, in poisonous frogs, the bright colors of which literally amaze the eye with their beauty.
Quite often, the bright color of amphibians indicates their toxicity and danger.
Features of deadly amphibians
Frogs are familiar to many as a small harmless creature, croaking loudly on rivers, swamps and lakes. However, not all of these amphibians are so cute and harmless - there are real monsters among them, which are literally life-threatening to meet.
Poison frogs are a species of tropical amphibians characterized by particularly toxic skin secretions that can kill any living creature, including humans and large animals. This feature of the amphibian is due to its diet, consisting of poisonous spiders, ticks, tropical ants, etc.
Poison frogs are characterized by particularly toxic secretions of the skin
Insect poisonous substances that enter the frog's body are converted into its own poison, which is then released through the skin glands of the amphibian. Moreover, these toxic substances absolutely do not harm the amphibian itself, but, on the contrary, make it practically invulnerable to enemies, of which there are plenty in the tropics.
Nature has endowed the most poisonous frogs with very beautiful bright colors. However, such a characteristic feature serves mainly not the amphibian itself, but those around it, telling them that it is dangerous to approach this beauty. Unfortunately, many travelers sometimes do not perceive such signals, which ends up being extremely sad for them.
The most dangerous individuals live in the forests of Central and South America. Poison frogs are most often found in:
- Venezuela;
- Colombia;
- the Guianas;
- Ecuador.
family of poison dart frogs
Dart frogs are a family of amphibians, the main part of whose species is recognized as the most poisonous frogs on the planet. Amphibians are distinguished by their small size (only from 12 to 25 mm) and a weight of about 2 g. Frogs of this genus are characterized by luxurious colors of their body. Blues, lemons, yellow-blacks, bright reds, oranges are just a few of the shades that poison dart frogs can be painted with.
Dart frogs are recognized as the most poisonous frogs in the world The sounds made by these amphibians are not at all like the usual croaking, rather they resemble the singing of a cricket or an exotic bird. Dart frogs spend a significant part of their lives on the leaves and branches of trees, hunting for small insects. Small suction cups located on the toes of their paws help them climb the trunks. Thanks to this feature, the frog, like a rock climber, can overcome any vertical surface. Unlike most amphibians, poison dart frogs swim very poorly, and in general they dislike water so much that they even lay eggs on leaves and branches.
These frogs move not by jumping, but by regular steps. In case of danger, they do not run away, but fall into a kind of coma, but more often they show retaliatory aggression, boldly jumping on the enemy.
The most poisonous representatives of dart frogs include:
Dangerous Monkey Frog
Phyllomedusa bicolor is a very large frog belonging to the tree frog family. Widespread in the tropical forests of South America. The upper part of the body of the amphibian is colored light green, while the abdomen can be cream, light yellow or white. The interesting manner of moving the bicolor phyllomedusa along the branches of trees makes it very similar to a monkey or a chameleon, which is why this amphibian deserved its second nickname - monkey frog, or monkey frog.
The manner of movement of phyllomedusa bicolor along the branches of trees makes it very similar to a monkey Locals idolize this amphibian, believing that the poisonous substance secreted by its skin can heal any disease. So, the natives believe that the poison of the phyllomedusa, which has entered the human body, is able to drive away bad energy, thereby returning good luck, endurance and lost male sexual qualities. Often, toxic mucus is used to heal snake bites, as well as treat yellow fever, malaria, etc.
They extract frog poison in a very interesting way: they stretch it by its paws (in the shape of X), and then spit on its back 3-4 times, thereby irritating the phyllomedusa, which immediately begins to secrete the necessary secret. Next, the poison is collected with a wooden spatula, and the amphibian is released into the wild.
Aborigines believe that phyllomedusa poison, which has entered the human body, is able to drive away bad energy.
The method of using toxic mucus is also quite unusual: on the right forearm of a native, several small burns are applied with coal from a fire, after which these wounds are abundantly smeared with the resulting substance. The toxic effect is manifested almost immediately: the heartbeat increases, the pressure rises, then dizziness, nausea and vomiting begin. Some lose consciousness. Somewhere in 30-40 minutes, the action of the poison ends, and the subjects return to normal, after which they happily and cheerfully go about their business.
Breeding at home
No matter how strange it may sound, modern exotic lovers are increasingly choosing poisonous amphibians as pets. Which is not at all surprising, because huge terrariums with colorful frogs sitting among lush vegetation are not only pleasing to the eye, but also resemble a piece of the jungle.
Modern exotic lovers are increasingly choosing poisonous amphibians as pets. And, most importantly, it is absolutely safe to keep such an amphibian at home, since in an artificial environment it completely loses its poisonous qualities. This is primarily affected by a change in the diet and living conditions of the amphibian.
The most popular terrarium frogs today are poison dart frogs. The main advantages of these amphibians:
- easy care;
- the diversity and beauty of the frog;
- small sizes;
- dart frogs are completely suitable for room temperature;
- even same-sex individuals get along well in the same terrarium;
- have interesting behavior.
Terrarium for amphibian
Dart frogs are kept in horizontal type terrariums with moderate humidity and good ventilation. The dimensions of such a “house” must first of all be selected based on the size of the terrarium vegetation, which these frogs definitely need. For example, 2-3 pairs of individuals will feel great on a site measuring 60 by 60 cm with a wall height of about 50-70 cm.
As a soil, medium or coarse gravel can be used. It is very important that the stones are constantly slightly moistened, so once a day they must be sprayed with settled water.
Medium or coarse gravel can be used as soil for frogs. The room temperature from + 22 to + 27 ° C is perfect for poison dart frogs, but at night it can be lowered to +18 ° C. Such conditions are quite sufficient for the normal life of both amphibians and terrarium plants. Since poison dart frogs are diurnal amphibians, special attention should be paid to lighting: frogs should be provided with good light for 12 hours.
In addition, ultraviolet radiation is vital for amphibians, so it is very important that the terrarium is equipped with such a device. In no case should you use special warming lamps designed for reptiles (especially desert lizards and turtles), because in strong light, the delicate skin of amphibians simply burns out.
Amphibians are vital to ultraviolet light, so it is very important that the terrarium is equipped with As vegetation, low varieties with large leaves, such as tradescantia and various representatives of bromeliads, are well suited. A thick snag or a small part of a tree trunk is also required. The constant availability of fresh water is extremely important, which is recommended to be kept in a coconut shell.
Nutrition and reproduction
Experienced breeders traditionally feed dart frogs with fruit flies, a favorite delicacy of these frogs. However, a novice owner of amphibians with such “food” may experience some difficulties (flies have a not very pleasant feature to scatter throughout the apartment), so at the initial stage, frogs can be fed with caterpillar larvae or springtails.
The transformation of a tadpole into a frog is a long process that will take 2-3 months Dart frogs reach their sexual maturity at the age of about a year. After fertilization, females lay a very small number of eggs (only 3-5 pieces) in various shelters. After about 20-25 days, small tadpoles appear, which are immediately transferred to a small plastic bowl with clean water. Young animals are fed with the usual mixture for fry of aquarium fish. The transformation of a tadpole into a frog is a rather lengthy process, which will take 2-3 months.
Thus, even very dangerous and deadly frogs can turn into cute apartment pets, daily delighting their owner with funny behavior and beauty.