Individuals of the Marañón poison frog differ in the pattern of their white spots and in the size of the light-coloured patch under the chin. Like most species in its family, it possesses natural skin alkaloids that serve as a chemical defence. The frog obtains the raw materials required for this from its diet. Animals kept in captivity largely lose this toxicity.
To reproduce, the females lay between 4 and 13 eggs on damp substrates, which are fertilised, guarded and kept moist by the male. The tadpoles hatch after about 15 days. The male carries them on his back to small pools of water in the inflorescences of bromeliad plants (e.g. Aechmea nudicollis) and deposits them individually. Inside the bromeliads, they complete their metamorphosis into fully developed frogs over the course of several weeks.
Water-filled bromeliad cups not only serve as breeding sites, but also play a role in feeding. In the bromeliads growing on trees or in their vicinity – on rock faces, on other plants or on the forest floor – small prey, such as ants or tiny flies, are hunted. The frogs are adept climbers, but rarely jump.
The Marañón poison frog is endemic to north-western Peru and endangered. The main threats are its very small distribution, the severe fragmentation of its remaining habitats, and the loss of these habitats due to agricultural expansion – particularly coffee and banana cultivation and livestock farming. Added to this is the widespread practice of slash-and-burn farming in the region, which also affects protected areas.
Today, the species survives only in five or six small remnant woodlands, some of which have very small populations. Furthermore, illegal trapping for the terrarium trade is putting a strain on the populations.
Taxonomy
Dendrobatidae, genus Excidobates (3 species)
Habitat
primary, relatively dry mountain forests
Behaviour and ecology
diurnal, living on the ground and in trees; its behaviour and ecology are closely linked to bromeliad plants
Diet
invertebrates, particularly ants and small flies
