Black-legged poison dart frog
Phyllobates bicolor
The black-legged poison dart frog is one of the three species used by the indigenous population of Colombia to hunt with poisoned arrows. All three frog species have high concentrations of batrachotoxin, with the golden poison dart frog being the most toxic and the other two, the black-legged poison dart frog and the Kokoe poison frog, being about equally toxic. Poison dart frogs (dendrobatids) reared in captivity lose their toxicity as the toxins are absorbed through food. To this day, scientists are not sure which prey species provides the basis for the effective poison. So far, it has been possible to narrow down the poison suppliers to the following invertebrates: Ants, mites but also a small beetle from the soft-wing flower beetles (Melyridae).
| Classification | Amphibians, Dendrobatidae (204 species) | ||
| Habitat | tropical humid lowlands and rainforests of Colombia | ||
| Behavoiur | diurnal ground dweller | ||
| Diet | small insects such as ants and other invertebrates | ||
| Weight | 4 - 5 g | ||
| Body length | Male: up to 39.5 mm, females: up to 42.7 mm | ||
| Spawn | Laying of up to 40 eggs in the foliage, are guarded and moistened by the male until he carries the tadpole into nearby watercourses | ||
| Duration of laying of spawn to hatching | 15 days | ||
| Duration as a tadpole | 2 months | ||
| Use | arrow poison for hunting (indigenous population), Animal trade | ||
| Current population | unknown, decreasing | ||
| In Zurich Zoo since | 2024 |
Distribution
Conservation status
