Phantasmal Poison Frog and Three-striped Poison Frog Habitat Endangerment

The Phantasmal Poison Frog or Phantasmal Poison-dart Frog isn't even as big as a 50-Cent Euro-coin. Nevertheless you can find him fast in his terrarium as he is of striking red colour. In combination with the three white stripes he shows a nice warning colouration which says: Don't touch! Poisonous! The poison-dart frogs are the second-venomous animals in the world coming right after the Zoanthids (a kind of anemone). Phantasmal poison frogs have one of the strongest toxins of frogs. Their toxicity is known to be lethal. One of commonly related organisms, the blue triden frog, is frequently mistaken for the Phantasmal poison dart frog. A phantasmal poison frog (Epipedobates tricolor) is a species of poison dart frog. Their natural habitat is the Andean slopes of the central Ecuadorian Bolívar province. They have radiant color, powerful poison, and yet are some of the smallest frogs around.

Phantasmal Poison Frog

Phantasmal Poison frog or Three-striped Poison Frog toxins come from the amphibian's diet synthesized  from toxic chemicals from the ants. millipedes and other poisonous invertebrates that the frogs eat. Captive-born poison frogs  don't have venomous skin secretions unless their diet has the poisonous invertebrates that the species normally eats in the wild. The  Aquarium staff has take pains to provide their phantasmal poison frogs with the proper diet assuring a high level of toxic secretions. The tiny frogs are part of a group of diverse amphibians known as "poison dart" or "poison arrow" frogs a description coined by Amazon explorers in the 19th Century. The frogs' venom was used by indigenous South American natives to coat darts projected by wind-driven devices called blowpipes.


Distribution-Central Ecuador
Habitat-tropical forest
Food-fruit flies, springtails
Social behavior-diurnal, strongly territorial
Characteristics-glaring red skin with three white stripes, small
breeding time: 14 - 21 days / 20 - 25 eggs
weight: 0 gramme
length: 1.9 - 2.7 cm

Phantasmal Poison Frog

Fascinating Facts
Through their skin, poison-dart frogs excrete a venomous alkaloid which they accumulated in their body by eating poisonous animals. The toxin is a convulsant poison that leads to respiratory and muscle paralysis and leads to dead within 20 minutes.
 
Endangerment
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources - Endangered

Posted in: Forgs