Blue dart frog (blue): poisonous or not, description of the amphibian, maintenance, care, character

Description

The blue dart frog is a tailless amphibian from the family Dart frog (Dendrobatidae). The subspecies are currently not studied.

The body length of the blue dart frog is 3.5-4.5 cm. Males are shorter than females by about 0.5 cm. Weight is 3-6 grams.

The size of frogs in natural conditions is 3.5-4.5 cm

Life expectancy in the wild is 7 years, in a terrarium – 10-12 years.

Terrarists often call them azureus, as well as azure poison dart frogs. The species is listed in the International Red Book.

Classification[ | ]

The taxonomy of tree frogs is still controversial. Depending on whether molecular biology or morphological comparative characteristics are emphasized, different taxonomies have been proposed by different authors. The most complete revision in recent years has led to a large number of regroupings and renamings[18]. The former subfamily Hemiphractinae has been completely ungrouped and is now considered a separate family, Hemiphractidae. New genera were created, and some species were transferred from one genera to another. In the genus Hyla

, which was once the most extensive and contained more than 300 species, only 16 species remain. As of October 2022, the family includes 7 subfamilies, 52 genera and 716 species[15], but this taxonomy is not final[1]:

Acridinae

Mivart, 1869

Acris Duméril & Bibron, 1841 – Cricket tree frogs (3 species)

Hyliola Mocquard, 1899 (4 species)

Hyliola cadaverina (Cope, 1866) - California tree frog
Hyliola hypochondriaca (Hallowell, 1854)
Hyliola regilla (Baird & Girard, 1852) - King's tree frog
Hyliola sierra (Jameson, Mackey, and Richmond, 1966)

Pseudacris Fitzinger, 1843 - Marsh tree frogs (14 species)

Cophomantinae

Hoffman, 1878

Aplastodiscus Lutz, 1950 - Thin-toed tree frogs (15 species)
Boana Gray, 1825 (93 species)
Bokermannohyla Faivovich et al., 2005 (32 species)
Hyloscirtus Peters, 1882 (37 species)

Hyloscirtus albopunctulatus (Boulenger, 1882) - Fringed-footed tree frog
Hyloscirtus alytolylax (Duellman, 1972) - Long-voiced tree frog
Hyloscirtus antioquia Rivera-Correa & Faivovich, 2013
Hyloscirtus armatus (Boulenger, 1902)
Hyloscirtus bogotensis (Peters, 1882) - Speckled tree frog
Hyloscirtus callipeza (Duellman, 1989)
Hyloscirtus caucanus (Ardila-Robayo at al., 1993)
Hyloscirtus charazani (Vellard, 1970) - Bolivian tree frog
Hyloscirtus chlorosteus (Reynolds & Foster, 1992)
Hyloscirtus colymba (Dunn, 1931) - Short-striped tree frog
Hyloscirtus condor Almendáriz at al., 2014
Hyloscirtus criptico Coloma at al., 2012
Hyloscirtus denticulentus (Duellman, 1972) - White-spotted tree frog
Hyloscirtus diabolus Rivera-Correa, García-Burneo & Grant, 2016
Hyloscirtus estevesi (Rivero, 1968)
Hyloscirtus jahni (Rivero, 1961)
Hyloscirtus japreria Rojas-Runjaic et al., 2018
Hyloscirtus larinopygion (Duellman, 1973) - Blue-bellied tree frog
Hyloscirtus lascinius (Rivero, 1970)
Hyloscirtus lindae (Duellman & Altig, 1978) - Treefrog Trueb
Hyloscirtus lynchi (Ruiz-Carranza & Ardila-Robayo, 1991)
Hyloscirtus mashpi Guayasamin at al., 2015
Hyloscirtus pacha (Duellman & Hillis, 1990)
Hyloscirtus palmeri (Boulenger, 1908) - Brown-eyed tree frog
Hyloscirtus pantostictus (Duellman & Berger, 1982) - Yellow-toed tree frog
Hyloscirtus phyllognathus (Melin, 1941) - Olive tree frog
Hyloscirtus piceigularis (Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch, 1982) - Transparent-bellied tree frog
Hyloscirtus platydactylus (Boulenger, 1905) - Purple tree frog
Hyloscirtus princecharlesi Coloma at al., 2012
Hyloscirtus psarolaimus (Duellman & Hillis, 1990)
Hyloscirtus ptychodactylus (Duellman & Hillis, 1990)
Hyloscirtus sarampiona (Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch, 1982) - Orange-spotted tree frog
Hyloscirtus simmonsi (Duellman, 1989)
Hyloscirtus staufferorum (Duellman & Coloma, 1993)
Hyloscirtus tapichalaca (Kizirian, Coloma & Paredes-Recalde, 2003)
Hyloscirtus tigrinus Mueses-Cisneros & Anganoy-Criollo, 2008
Hyloscirtus torrenticola (Duellman & Altig, 1978)

Myersiohyla Faivovich et al., 2005 (6 species)

Myersiohyla aromatica (Ayarzagüena & Señaris, 1994)
Myersiohyla chamaeleo Faivovich, McDiarmid & Myers, 2013
Myersiohyla inparquesi (Ayarzagüena & Señaris, 1994)
Myersiohyla liliae (Kok, 2006)
Myersiohyla loveridgei (Rivero, 1961) - Speckled tree frog
Myersiohyla neblinaria Faivovich, McDiarmid & Myers, 2013

Nesorohyla Faivovich et al., 2005 (1 species)

Nesorohyla kanaima (Goin and Woodley, 1969)

Dendropsophinae

Fitzinger, 1843

Dendropsophus Fitzinger, 1843 (105 species)

Xenohyla Izecksohn, 1998 (2 species)

Xenohyla eugenioi Caramaschi, 1998
Xenohyla truncata (Izecksohn, 1959) - Diamond-eyed tree frog

Hylinae

Rafinesque, 1815

Atlantihyla Faivovich et al., 2022 (2 species)

Atlantihyla panchoi (Duellman and Campbell, 1982)
Atlantihyla spinipollex (Schmidt, 1936)

Bromeliohyla Faivovich et al., 2005 (3 species)

Bromeliohyla bromeliacia (Schmidt, 1933) - Bromeliad tree frog
Bromeliohyla dendroscarta (Taylor, 1940) - Banded tree frog
Bromeliohyla melacaena (McCranie & Castañeda, 2006)

Charadrahyla Faivovich et al., 2005 (9 species)

Charadrahyla altipotens (Duellman, 1968) - Razor-faced tree frog
Charadrahyla chaneque (Duellman, 1961)
Charadrahyla esperancensis Canseco-Márquez, Ramírez-González, and González-Bernal, 2017
Charadrahyla juanitae (Snyder, 1972)
Charadrahyla nephila (Mendelson & Campbell, 1999)
Charadrahyla pinorum (Taylor, 1937)
Charadrahyla taeniopus (Günther, 1901) - Banded tree frog
Charadrahyla tecuani Campbell, Blancas-Hernández & Smith, 2009
Charadrahyla trux (Adler & Dennis, 1972) - Chocolate tree frog

Dryophytes Fitzinger, 1843 (18 species)

Dryophytes andersonii (Baird, 1854)
Dryophytes arboricola (Taylor, 1941)
Dryophytes arenicolor Cope, 1866
Dryophytes avivoca (Viosca, 1928)
Dryophytes bocourti (Mocquard, 1899)
Dryophytes chrysoscelis (Cope, 1880)
Dryophytes cinereus (Schneider, 1799)
Dryophytes euphorbiaceus (Günther, 1858)
Dryophytes eximius (Baird, 1854)
Dryophytes femoralis (Daudin, 1800)
Dryophytes gratiosus (LeConte, 1856)
Dryophytes immaculatus (Boettger, 1888)
Dryophytes japonicus (Günther, 1859)
Dryophytes plicatus (Brocchi, 1877)
Dryophytes squirellus (Daudin, 1800)
Dryophytes versicolor (LeConte, 1825)
Dryophytes walkeri (Stuart, 1954)
Dryophytes wrightorum (Taylor, 1939)

Duellmanohyla Campbell & Smith, 1992 (8 species)

Ecnomiohyla Faivovich et al., 2005 (12 species)

Ecnomiohyla bailarina Batista et al., 2014
Ecnomiohyla echinata (Duellman, 1961) - Spine-toed tree frog
Ecnomiohyla fimbrimembra (Taylor, 1948) - Fringed tree frog
Ecnomiohyla miliaria (Cope, 1886) - Phantasmagoric tree frog
Ecnomiohyla minera (Wilson, McCranie & Williams, 1985)
Ecnomiohyla phantasmagoria (Dunn, 1943)
Ecnomiohyla rabborum (Mendelson at al., 2008
Ecnomiohyla salvaje (Wilson, McCranie & Williams, 1985)
Ecnomiohyla sukia (Savage & Kubicki, 2010
Ecnomiohyla thysanota (Duellman, 1966) - Panama tree frog
Ecnomiohyla valancifer (Firschein & Smith, 1956)
Ecnomiohyla veraguensis (Batista at al., 2014

Exerodonta Brocchi, 1879 (9 species)

Exerodonta abdivita (Campbell & Duellman, 2000)
Exerodonta bivocata (Duellman & Hoyt, 1961)
Exerodonta catracha (Porras & Wilson, 1987)
Exerodonta chimalapa (Mendelson & Campbell, 1994)
Exerodonta melanomma (Taylor, 1940) - Dark-spotted tree frog
Exerodonta perkinsi (Campbell & Brodie, 1992)
Exerodonta smaragdina (Taylor, 1940)
Exerodonta sumichrasti Brocchi, 1879
Exerodonta xera (Mendelson & Campbell, 1994)

Hyla Laurenti, 1768 – Tree frogs (16 species)

Isthmohyla Faivovich et al., 2005 (14 species)

Isthmohyla angustilineata (Taylor, 1952) - Thin-striped tree frog
Isthmohyla calypsa (Lips, 1996)
Isthmohyla debilis (Taylor, 1952) - Bronze-eyed tree frog
Isthmohyla graceae (Myers & Duellman, 1982) - Two-striped tree frog
Isthmohyla infucata (Duellman, 1968)
Isthmohyla insolita (McCranie, Wilson & Williams, 1993)
Isthmohyla lancasteri (Barbour, 1928) - Tuberous tree frog
Isthmohyla picadoi (Dunn, 1937) - Two-toothed tree frog
Isthmohyla pictipes (Cope, 1875) - Yellow-legged tree frog
Isthmohyla pseudopuma (Günther, 1901) - Still-water tree frog
Isthmohyla rivularis (Taylor, 1952) - River tree frog
Isthmohyla tica (Starrett, 1966) - Orange-legged tree frog
Isthmohyla xanthosticta (Duellman, 1968) - Yellow-spotted tree frog
Isthmohyla zeteki (Gaige, 1929) - Flat tree frog

Megastomatohyla Faivovich et al., 2005 (4 species)

Megastomatohyla mixe (Duellman, 1965)
Megastomatohyla mixomaculata (Taylor, 1950) - Golden-eyed tree frog
Megastomatohyla nubicola (Duellman, 1964) - Mist tree frog
Megastomatohyla pellita (Duellman, 1968) - Hidden-eared tree frog

Plectrohyla Brocchi, 1877 - Cascoheads (19 species)

Ptychohyla Taylor, 1944 - Ferruginous tree frogs (8 species)

Ptychohyla dendrophasma (Campbell, Smith & Acevedo, 2000)
Ptychohyla euthysanota (Kellogg, 1928) - Rusty tree frog
Ptychohyla hypomykter McCranie & Wilson, 1993
Ptychohyla legleri (Taylor, 1958)
Ptychohyla leonhardschultzei (Ahl, 1934) - Ferruginous tree frog
Ptychohyla macrotympanum (Tanner, 1957)
Ptychohyla salvadorensis (Mertens, 1952)
Ptychohyla zophodes Campbell & Duellman, 2000

Quilticohyla Faivovich et al., 2022 (4 species)

Quilticohyla acrochorda (Campbell and Duellman, 2000)
Quilticohyla erythromma (Taylor, 1937)
Quilticohyla sanctaecrucis (Campbell and Smith, 1992)
Quilticohyla zoque (Canseco-Márquez et al., 2017)

Rheohyla Duellman, Marion, and Hedges, 2016 (1 species)

Rheohyla miotympanum (Cope, 1863)

Sarcohyla Duellman, Marion, and Hedges, 2016 (24 species)

Sarcohyla ameibothalame (Canseco-Márquez et al., 2002)
Sarcohyla arborescandens (Taylor, 1939)
Sarcohyla bistincta (Cope, 1877)
Sarcohyla calvicollina (Toal, 1994)
Sarcohyla celata (Toal and Mendelson, 1995)
Sarcohyla cembra (Caldwell, 1974)
Sarcohyla charadricola (Duellman, 1964)
Sarcohyla chryses (Adler, 1965)
Sarcohyla crassa (Brocchi, 1877)
Sarcohyla cyanomma (Caldwell, 1974)
Sarcohyla cyclada (Campbell and Duellman, 2000)
Sarcohyla hapsa Campbell et al., 2018
Sarcohyla hazelae (Taylor, 1940)
Sarcohyla labeculata (Shannon, 1951)
Sarcohyla labedactyla (Mendelson and Toal, 1996)
Sarcohyla miahuatlanensis (Meik et al., 2006)
Sarcohyla mykter (Adler and Dennis, 1972)
Sarcohyla pachyderma (Taylor, 1942)
Sarcohyla pentheter (Adler, 1965)
Sarcohyla psarosema (Campbell and Duellman, 2000)
Sarcohyla robertsorum (Taylor, 1940)
Sarcohyla sabrina (Caldwell, 1974)
Sarcohyla siopela (Duellman, 1968)
Sarcohyla thorectes (Adler, 1965)

Smilisca Cope, 1865 - Smilisca (9 species)

Tlalocohyla Faivovich et al., 2005 (4 species)

Tlalocohyla godmani (Günther, 1901) - Veracruz tree frog
Tlalocohyla loquax (Gaige & Stuart, 1934) - Red-legged tree frog
Tlalocohyla picta (Günther, 1901)
Tlalocohyla smithii (Boulenger, 1902)

Triprion Cope, 1866 - Helmeted tree frogs (3 species)

Triprion petasatus (Cope, 1865) - Helmeted tree frog
Triprion spatulatus Günther, 1882
Triprion spinosus (Steindachner, 1864)

Lophyohylinae

Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926

Aparasphenodon Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 – Combheads (5 species)

Aparasphenodon arapapa Pimenta, Napoli & Haddad, 2009
Aparasphenodon bokermanni Pombal, 1993
Aparasphenodon brunoi Miranda Ribeiro, 1920 - Brazilian combhead
Aparasphenodon pomba Lopes de Assis at al., 2013
Aparasphenodon venezolanus (Mertens, 1950) - Venezuelan combhead

Argenteohyla Trueb, 1970 – Cassette tree frogs (1 species)
Corythomantis Boulenger, 1896 – Shield-headed tree frogs (2 species)

Dryaderces Jungfer et al., 2013 (2 species)

Dryaderces inframaculata (Boulenger, 1882) - Dark-sided tree frog
Dryaderces pearsoni (Gaige, 1929)

Itapotihyla Faivovich et al., 2005 (1 species)

Itapotihyla langsdorffii (Duméril & Bibron, 1841) - Langsdorff's bonehead

Nyctimantis Boulenger, 1882 – Hollow tree frogs (1 species)

Nyctimantis rugiceps Boulenger, 1882 - Hollow tree frog

Osteocephalus Steindachner, 1862 - Boneheads (24 species)

Osteocephalus alboguttatus (Boulenger, 1882) - Speckled tree frog
Osteocephalus buckleyi (Boulenger, 1882) - Bladder-sided boneheads
Osteocephalus cabrerai (Cochran & Goin, 1970)
Osteocephalus camufatus Jungfer at al., 2016
Osteocephalus cannatellai Ron at al., 2012
Osteocephalus carri (Cochran & Goin, 1970)
Osteocephalus castaneicola Moravec at al., 2009
Osteocephalus deridens Jungfer at al., 2000
Osteocephalus duellmani Jungfer, 2011
Osteocephalus festae (Peracca, 1904)
Osteocephalus fuscifacies Jungfer at al., 2000
Osteocephalus helenae (Ruthven, 1919) - Guyana tree frog
Osteocephalus heyeri Lynch, 2002
Osteocephalus leoniae Jungfer & Lehr, 2001
Osteocephalus leprieurii (Duméril & Bibron, 1841) - Cross-striped bonehead
Osteocephalus mimeticus (Melin, 1941)
Osteocephalus mutabor Jungfer & Hodl, 2002
Osteocephalus oophagus Jungfer & Schiesari, 1995
Osteocephalus planiceps Cope, 1874
Osteocephalus subtilis Martins & Cardoso, 1987
Osteocephalus taurinus Steindachner, 1862 - Amazonian bonehead
Osteocephalus verruciger (Werner, 1901) - Warty bonehead
Osteocephalus vilarsi (Melin, 1941)
Osteocephalus yasuni Ron & Pramuk, 1999

Osteopilus Fitzinger, 1843 - West Indian tree frogs (8 species)
Phyllodytes Wagler, 1830 - Phyllodytes (species)

Phytotriades Jowers, Downieb, and Cohen, 2009 (1 species)

Phytotriades auratus (Boulenger, 1917)

Tepuihyla Ayarzagüena, Señaris & Gorzula, 1993 (9 species)

Tepuihyla aecii Ayarzagüena, Señaris & Gorzula, 1993
Tepuihyla edelcae (Ayarzagüena, Señaris & Gorzula, 1993)
Tepuihyla exophthalma (Smith & Noonan, 2001)
Tepuihyla luteolabris Ayarzagüena, Señaris & Gorzula, 1993
Tepuihyla obscura Kok at al., 2015
Tepuihyla rodriguezi (Rivero, 1968)
Tepuihyla shushupe Ron at al., 2016
Tepuihyla tuberculosa (Boulenger, 1882) - Warty tree frog
Tepuihyla warreni (Duellman & Hoogmoed, 1992)

Trachycephalus Tschudi, 1838 - Shellheads (17 species)

Pseudinae

Fitzinger, 1843

Lysapsus Cope, 1862 - Blunt-snouted pseudos (4 species)

Lysapsus bolivianus (Gallardo, 1961)
Lysapsus caraya Gallardo, 1964
Lysapsus laevis (Parker, 1935)
Lysapsus limellum Cope, 1862

Pseudis Wagler, 1830 - Pseudis (7 species)

Scarthyla Duellman & de Sá, 1988 (2 species)

Scarthyla goinorum (Bokermann, 1962)
Scarthyla vigilans (Solano, 1971) - Venezuelan tree frog

Scinaxinae

Duellman, Marion, and Hedges, 2016

Julianus Duellman, Marion, and Hedges, 2016 (2 species)

Julianus pinimus (Bokermann and Sazima, 1973)
Julianus uruguayus (Schmidt, 1944)

Ololygon Fitzinger, 1843 (48 species)

Ololygon agilis (Cruz and Peixoto, 1983)
Ololygon albicans (Bokermann, 1967)
Ololygon alcatraz (Lutz, 1973)
Ololygon angrensis (Lutz, 1973)
Ololygon arduous (Peixoto, 2002)
Ololygon argyreornata (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926)
Ololygon ariadne (Bokermann, 1967)
Ololygon aromothyella (Faivovich, 2005)
Ololygon atrata (Peixoto, 1989)
Ololygon belloni (Faivovich, Gasparini, and Haddad, 2010)
Ololygon berthae (Barrio, 1962)
Ololygon brieni (De Witte, 1930)
Ololygon caissara (Lourenço, Zina, Catroli, Kasahara, Faivovich, and Haddad, 2016)
Ololygon canastrensis (Cardoso and Haddad, 1982)
Ololygon carnevallii Caramaschi and Kisteumacher, 1989
Ololygon catharinae (Boulenger, 1888)
Ololygon centralis (Pombal and Bastos, 1996)
Ololygon cosenzai (Lacerda, Peixoto, and Feio, 2012)
Ololygon faivovichi (Brasileiro, Oyamaguchi, and Haddad, 2007)
Ololygon flavoguttata (Lutz and Lutz, 1939)
Ololygon goya Andrade, Santos, Rocha, Pombal, and Vaz-Silva, 2018
Ololygon heyeri Peixoto and Weygoldt, 1986
Ololygon hiemalis (Haddad and Pombal, 1987)
Ololygon humilis (A. Lutz and B. Lutz, 1954)
Ololygon insperata (Silva and Alves-Silva, 2011)
Ololygon jureia (Pombal and Gordo, 1991)
Ololygon kautskyi Carvalho-e-Silva and Peixoto, 1991
Ololygon littoralis (Pombal and Gordo, 1991)
Ololygon littoreus Peixoto, 1988
Ololygon longilinea (Lutz, 1968)
Ololygon luizotavioi Caramaschi and Kisteumacher, 1989
Ololygon machadoi (Bokermann and Sazima, 1973)
Ololygon melanodactyla (Lourenço, Luna, and Pombal, 2014)
Ololygon melloi Peixoto, 1989
Ololygon muriciensis (Cruz, Nunes, and Lima, 2011)
Ololygon obtriangulata (Lutz, 1973)
Ololygon peixotoi (Brasileiro, Haddad, Sawaya, and Martins, 2007)
Ololygon perpusilla (Lutz and Lutz, 1939)
Ololygon pombali (Lourenço, Carvalho, Baêta, Pezzuti, and Leite, 2013)
Ololygon ranki (Andrade and Cardoso, 1987)
Ololygon rizibilis (Bokermann, 1964)
Ololygon skaios (Pombal, Carvalho, Canelas, and Bastos, 2010)
Ololygon skuki (Lima, Cruz, and Azevedo, 2011)
Ololygon strigilata (Spix, 1824)
Ololygon trapicheiroi (A. Lutz and B. Lutz, 1954)
Ololygon tripui (Lourenço, Nascimento, and Pires, 2010)
Ololygon tupinamba (Silva and Alves-Silva, 2008)
Ololygon v-signata (Lutz, 1968)

Scinax Wagler, 1830 (72 species)

Sphaenorhynchus Tschudi, 1838 - Wedgeheads (15 species)

Sphaenorhynchus botocudo Caramaschi, Almeida & Gasparini, 2009
Sphaenorhynchus bromelicola Bokermann, 1966 - Bromeliad wedgehead
Sphaenorhynchus cammaeus Roberto at al., 2017
Sphaenorhynchus canga Araujo-Vieira at al., 2015
Sphaenorhynchus caramaschii Toledo at al., 2007
Sphaenorhynchus carneus (Cope, 1868) - Red-green wedgehead
Sphaenorhynchus dorisae (Goin, 1957) - Wedgehead Cochran
Sphaenorhynchus lacteus (Daudin, 1800) - Golden wedgehead
Sphaenorhynchus mirim Caramaschi, Almeida & Gasparini, 2009
Sphaenorhynchus palustris Bokermann, 1966 - Swamp wedgehead
Sphaenorhynchus pauloalvini Bokermann, 1973 - Brazilian wedgehead
Sphaenorhynchus planicola (Lutz & Lutz, 1938) - Plains wedgehead
Sphaenorhynchus platycephalus (Werner, 1894)
Sphaenorhynchus prasinus Bokermann, 1973 – Green wedgehead
Sphaenorhynchus surdus (Cochran, 1953) - Paranaian wedgehead

Species incertae sedis

Hyla imitator (Barbour and Dunn, 1921)
Hyla nicefori (Cochran and Goin, 1970)

History of the breed

In the late 60s, researchers discovered a blue frog in tropical rainforests. The bright shade stood out against the general background. Because of its poisonous properties, the natives named the frog okopipi - “poison arrow frog”.

Scientists suggest that the Azureus survived the Ice Age only thanks to cryosleep. Maybe for this reason they have an “icy” color.

The species was first described in 1797 by French zoologist Frederic Cuvier.

Varieties

There are at least 175 varieties of brightly colored tree frogs. However, only 3 of them pose a mortal danger to humans. Other amphibians are not poisonous; with the help of their distinctive color they protect themselves from predators. Those tree nymphs that can actually cause death prefer solitude; they gather in groups only during the mating season, when they reach the age of 2 years. They attack large animals only if they sense danger. They strive to protect their home.

Habitat

The habitat of the blue dart frog is a small area of the Sipaliwini River in South America. This site is located in the south of Suriname and borders Brazil and French Guiana.

Frogs live in the rainforests of South and Central America

Azureus prefer tropical rain forests with rocky soil at altitudes up to 400 m above sea level. They live in dense thickets or under piles of fallen leaves near lakes or puddles. The temperature there during the day ranges from 22° to 27°C, and at night - 20°C.

Due to its very small range, Dendrobates azureus is on the verge of extinction. The main reason is deforestation by surrounding residents.

Behavior

Blue dart frogs in the wild coexist on land in mixed groups of up to 60 individuals. They lead a daily lifestyle. They walk almost all day, alternately moving their paws, and less often jump on the forest floor in search of food.

Dart frogs lead an active daily lifestyle

Males protect the areas occupied by their “harem”. They use sounds to inform opponents about this. And if their territory is encroached upon, they furiously try to push the invader out of it.

Their fights are similar to freestyle wrestling. The male, who is defeated, bows his head to the ground. It happens that fights end in the death of an opponent due to broken limbs.

Poisonous or not

The venom of the blue dart frog in nature is not as strong as that of the terrible leaf climber, one of the representatives of the Dendrobatidae family.

The Tiriyo Indian tribes from the tropical forests of the Sipaliwini savannah smear arrows with the poisonous secretion of Azureus when they hunt small animals.

Under natural conditions, frogs accumulate poison by eating poisonous ants. It is released from a huge number of glands when the skin of an amphibian is touched. The poisonous secretion protects it from fungi and bacteria, as well as from enemies in natural conditions.

Frog caviar oil: medicinal uses

Doctors have also found benefits in tree frog caviar, extracting from it what appears to be a medically useful oil.

So, oil from tree frog caviar, or rather, the drug that is produced on its basis, helps cleanse the blood and blood vessels, effectively treat hypertension, diabetes, and stroke. It is also recommended for high cholesterol levels, low immunity and weakened sexual functions. In any case, prior consultation with a doctor before using such drugs is required.

Diseases

Dart frogs are rather gentle creatures, and therefore, when kept in terrariums, they are often susceptible to diseases such as:

dropsy,
intestinal obstruction,
pneumonia;
blood poisoning;
infectious pathologies;
mycosis;
rotting of bone and cartilage tissue;
salmonellosis.

Many of these diseases are difficult to treat and therefore deadly. Experts and veterinarians recommend strictly following the regimen and diet of azure dart frogs, as well as the basic conditions for keeping pets, non-compliance with which often causes diseases.

Be sure to contact your veterinarian if you notice any symptoms of the disease.

If alarming symptoms are detected in an amphibian, you should immediately contact a veterinarian

Price and where to buy

Due to the small population, it is not very easy to acquire poison dart frog. You are unlikely to find it in a regular pet store. But it is possible to order on a specialized website. It is important to contact a trusted seller.

The price will depend on the age of the dart frog and the regional location of the buyer. You can buy a baby blue dart frog for about 2000-2500 rubles. A female up to 1 year old can be bought for 5,000 rubles.

Blue dart frogs are spectacular, bright, unusual frogs that will decorate any terrarium.

Dart frogs are beautiful and unusual frogs that will become a worthy decoration for any terrarium.

Such beauties can be given names, because it is easy to distinguish them thanks to the individuality of color. Given the right conditions, these amazing amphibians will delight and amuse the owner for many years.

Are you interested in the blue dart frog? Or maybe you kept such a pet in an aquarium? Share your opinion and experience in the comments.

Appearance of a tree frog

Tree frogs belong to the family of tailless amphibians, and include more than 800 species of tree frogs. The main difference between these frogs and others is the presence of special suction cups on their feet, thanks to which they are able to move vertically.

Such suction cups on the fingers are equipped with additional muscles that relax them and allow them to press more tightly to the substrate. In addition to such Velcro, there are also sticky areas on the skin of the abdomen and throat.

The second difference between tree frogs is that many species are brightly colored, as can be seen in the photo. Shocking neon green, bright yellow, green-orange, and red colors highlight this amphibian, warning those who want to dine on it that this lunch will not only be the last in the life of the frog, because they are usually very poisonous.

Tree frogs are most often brightly colored

But there are also less noticeable species - gray or brown, for example, American tree frog . And the squirrel tree frog can even change color, adapting to the world around it.

The size of these amphibians depends on the species, and the largest of them are only up to 14 cm in length. On average, their size is only 2-4 cm, and dwarf tree frogs are generally a little more than a centimeter.

This is not surprising, because the heavy weight of the steeple frog cannot be supported by thin branches and leaves of trees. Males are smaller than females, but they have a leather pouch under their throats, which they can beautifully inflate and make sounds to them.

Tree frogs' eyes typically protrude from their heads, providing binocular vision. The pupils are most often located vertically. The tongue is long and sticky, very useful for hunting insects.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the toxicity of the tree frog - not everything is so scary for humans. Some generally only disguise themselves as dangerous. To be poisoned, you must allow the poison to enter the body.

Touching with hands can be unpleasant and painful, but not fatal. It is believed that poisonousness is not an innate quality of the frog. Studies have shown that the poison is adsorbed from insects, which contain them in minimal doses.