Belly Spot Poison Dart

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Belly Spot Poison Dart
Ranitomeya ventrimaculata

Ranitomeya ventrimaculata

Systematics
Subordination : Neobatrachia
Superfamily : Dendrobatoidea
Family : Poison Dart Frogs (Dendrobatidae)
Subfamily : Dendrobatinae
Genre : Ranitomeya
Type : Belly Spot Poison Dart
Scientific name
Ranitomeya ventrimaculata
( Shreve , 1935)

The belly spot tree climber ( Ranitomeya ventrimaculata , syn .: Dendrobates ventrimaculata ) is a frog from the genus Ranitomeya ; previously it was assigned to the genus Baumsteiger ( Dendrobates ).

Appearance

Belly patch tree climber, belly side

The diurnal frog grows up to 20 millimeters in size, with the males remaining a little smaller and the females a little plump. It has a black base color with yellow lines or dots on the dorsal side. The ventral side shows blue to gray mesh patterns on a black background. This gives the impression of a black dot drawing, which the frog owes its name to. The legs are meshed gray-blue to bronze-colored on a black background.

Occurrence

There are two separate areas of distribution of the belly spots-Bausteiger known: On the one hand, the tropical lowlands of the upper reaches of the Amazon and possibly its tributaries, e.g. B. in Ecuador , Colombia , Peru and Brazil . Second, occurrences in Guyana , French Guyana and Suriname are known. Ranitomeya ventrimaculata occurs mostly on trees of the tropical rainforest, rarely on the ground.

Reproduction

Belly patch builders reach sexual maturity at around six months. After the eggs are laid, which usually takes place in water-filled leaf axils below the surface of the water, the four to eight eggs are fertilized by the male and, after the tadpoles hatch, which usually takes place after 12 to 16 days, the male individually moves them into small bodies of water (puddles, leaf axils, etc. .) carried. The larvae develop into a frog after 60 to 80 days. The tadpoles of the belly patch tree climber are omnivorous and cannibalistic if there is not enough food. For this reason, the males of this species separate the newly hatched larvae.

Poison

The belly patch tree climber secretes toxins via skin glands that protect against fungal and bacterial attack. In addition, the poison protects against predators, which are also deterred by the bright colors of the frog. Compared to the "real" poison dart frogs , the species is only slightly poisonous. The frog does not produce the poison itself, but ingests it through food. After it was long suspected that ants or termites are the source of the poison, a species of mite has now been found in the frogs 'range that produces exactly the same alkaloids as those found in the frogs' skin.

Threat status

Ranitomeya ventrimaculata is mentioned in Appendix II of the Washington Convention on Endangered Species and is therefore a species in need of protection whose import and export require a permit. The species is still notifiable according to the Federal Species Protection Ordinance.

Web links

Commons : Belly Spot Poison Dart  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files