Dendrobates vanzolinii
TAXONOMY
Dendrobates vanzolinii Myers, 1982, Porto Walter on the Rio Juruá, Acre, Brazil.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
None known.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The snout-vent length is 0.67–0.77 in (17.4–19.9 mm) in females and 0.62–0.70 in (16.1–18.1 mm) in males. This small frog has black spots and bars on a bright yellow background and a pattern of blue mesh on the legs.
DISTRIBUTION
This frog is known from western Brazil in the state of Acre and the adjacent Amazonian region in Peru.
HABITAT
The species inhabits lowland rainforest. Individuals avoid leaf litter; instead, they inhabit small trees or shrubs in the lower canopy.
BEHAVIOR
Males are territorial and interact vocally with males in adjacent territories to establish the limits of their territories.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Adults forage continually during the day. They feed on tiny insects and other arthropods, primarily ants and mites.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Pairs of frogs remain together and care for their offspring. Small clutches of two to three eggs are deposited in tiny tree holes above the waterline, and tadpoles develop individually in these nutrient-poor habitats. Pairs undergo courtship about every five days, but instead of depositing fertilized eggs, the female deposits eggs in the water for the tadpoles to consume.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. As in many other species of dendrobatids, little is known about the extent of the distribution range. Continual deforestation in the area around Porto Walter, Brazil, has caused the demise of some populations in that area.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
This species is unusual among frogs, in that pairs remain together to care for their offspring. Loss of this species would prevent gaining a better understanding of the evolution of this reproductive mode and those in closely related species.
