Dyeing poison dart frog
| Dendrobates tinctorius | |
|---|---|
| |
| Dendrobates t. tinctorius | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | D. tinctorius
|
| Binomial name | |
| Dendrobates tinctorius (Schneider, 1799)
| |
Dendrobates tinctorius, also known by the common name Dyeing Dart frog, is a species of poison dart frog, the type species of the genus Dendrobates. It is the largest species, reaching lengths of 50 mm. This species is distributed throughout the eastern portion of the Guiana Shield, including parts of Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, and nearly all of French Guiana.
It exists in discrete patches throughout this region, being restricted to "highland" (up to 350+ metre) areas. While this species can be found at sea level, these individuals have been collected at the base of nearby hills or mountains. The isolation of populations has presumably occurred as a result of the erosion of these highland areas and the seasonal inundation of the inter-patch areas.
The species encompasses a great diversity of colour and patterning variants (subspecies and morphs). Some batrachologists suspect that some of these are actually different species. The specific name tinctorius comes, however, not from the variety of colors, but from the way some indigenous tribes use the frogs. They rub them on the skin of young parrots, and the poisoning of the parrots' skin causes them to grow feathers of different colors.
References
- Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes a range map and a brief justification of why this species is of least concern