Poison Dart Frogs of Corcovado
One species in our park that is highly endangered is the poison dart frog which is a group of frogs of the genus Dendrobates. They are usually very small and vibrantly colored as part of a aposematic coloration. They secrete a very potent toxin through their skin, deterring possible predators and harming those that try to hurt it. They get this toxin by eating poisonous ants and then using their bodies to convert the ant toxin into their own toxin. As amphibians, they require a wet environment and later in life need vegetation to live on. Of the various types of poison dart frogs, also known as poison arrow frogs, some types include the strawberry and the golden poison dart frog. (22) (33)
The poison dart frog is very well protected from potential predators because of hits toxin production; however, they have a few natural predators which are mostly a very small group of snakes. This predation does not explain the drastically reduced amount of population that has been observed has occurred. Instead, one needs to look at the reproductive behaviors of the poison dart frog as well as the area where it lives most of its life. When female poison dart frogs lay eggs, they wait until they hatch into tadpoles and then carry them high up into the trees of the rain forest. Here, they deposit the tadpoles into plants such as bromeliads that collect large amounts of water. (33)
The poison dart frog is very well protected from potential predators because of hits toxin production; however, they have a few natural predators which are mostly a very small group of snakes. This predation does not explain the drastically reduced amount of population that has been observed has occurred. Instead, one needs to look at the reproductive behaviors of the poison dart frog as well as the area where it lives most of its life. When female poison dart frogs lay eggs, they wait until they hatch into tadpoles and then carry them high up into the trees of the rain forest. Here, they deposit the tadpoles into plants such as bromeliads that collect large amounts of water. (33)
The true danger that comes to this magnificent and unique species is human interaction. As the human population expands, it often takes up and removes large amounts of rain forest space. When looking at the behavior and habitat of poison dart frogs, it is easy to determine that the destruction of rain forest trees can easily disrupt the lives of poison dart frogs. They often lose the places where they live out their lives, disrupting the current generation of the species. Also, the next generation of poison dart frogs is also threatened. Because mature poison dart frogs often rear their young in the upper tree levels after hatching, the young species will often die before maturing. Not just because of threats against the current generation, but also against the next generation, the poison dart frog has been put in a precarious, knife's edge situation that has caused it to be classified as an endangered species. It is up to us to help keep this precious, amazing organism safe within our now protected park land. (33)