Trivia question for Jun-28-2011

Olivia picked todays trivia because she said their colors were striking… Lets see how she does with this one.  Though not a poisonous as some, this frog still produces toxins powerful enough to keep most animals from eating it.

The species is often found in humid lowlands and premontane forest, but large populations are also found in disturbed areas such as plantations. This frog is perhaps most famous for its widespread variation in coloration, comprising approximately 15–30 color morphs, most of which are presumed to be true-breeding.

So here are Olivia’s questions:  Tell us what this colorful frog is called and where it can be found.  Also, the Choco Indians dip arrows with frog poison for hunting.  Tell us how many arrows can be treated with the toxins from one of these frogs and how long the poison will remain effective for?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to both Gina and Ty for getting the frog identified correctly.  The colorful little guy we featured is the Strawberry Poison-Arrow Frog.  The strawberry poison frog or strawberry poison-dart or arrow frog is a species of small amphibian poison dart frog found in Central America. It is common throughout its range, which extends from eastern central Nicaragua through Costa Rica and northwestern Panama.

The Chaco Indians of Columbia dip arrows with frog poison to for hunting.  One frog produces enough poison to treat 50-arrows, and the poison is effective for up to a year.  Pretty cool.  Here is more on these toxic amphibians: Strawberry Poison-Arrow Frog

Thanks for playing along 😉