This magnificent little natural wonder is the Strawberry (if you believe it!) Poison-dart Frog. Here in Bocas del Toro across the archipelago you can find the famous Bocas Red Frogs in every color of the rainbow. The Oophaga pumilio can be found in more than 60 color morphs and that’s not including the array of submorphs that come in different designs, big black spots, tiny ones (and leopard blue legs like you see here!), legs that are either the same color as the body (like the same species that occurs in only one color morph in nearby Costa Rica that is strawberry body with “blue jeans”). With the separation of the islands, these frogs with their highly morphological phenotype make for a colorful display of unique little gems across the archipelago.
These poison dart frogs excrete a poison through their skin that was sequestered through their diet of formic acid-containing ants and similarly toxic mites that have no adverse effect on the frogs as they release it through the pores of their body. The red frogs are only a couple of centimeters long and the males make a call that is akin to an insect chatter.
When these frogs are ready to mate, the male guards his female in about a meter squared territory with buttressed trees that provide places to escape and, throughout our repeated droughts making for a rainforest that’s forest floor has dried out and the leaves are crunchy and the smell of autumn puts dread in my brain, considering this is a RAINforest. As eco-mindful beings, we must be sure to not pursue a frog that is trying to escape to the limited humidity under the leaves..never dig a frog out of its hiding spot.
Furthermore we will not handle these frogs as the oils on our skin can block the pores through which the frog partially breathes and of course releases its defensive poison.
When the female is ready to lay her eggs, she will deposit them onto her mate with a mucosy adhesive and the male red frog will carry the eggs until they hatch right on his back. He will carry the tadpole, climbing up a tree to search for a bromeliad or crook in the branches in which a small pool of water exists. Depositing the tadpole into the water, they join a brand new ecosystem with larval insects which attract birds.
The tadpole relies upon the unfertilized egg that the mom delivers daily and deposits into the tadpole’s temporary home. The tadpole consumes the egg, sequestering the poison so the little critter is already unpalatable to wildlife. While the toxins in this species is not as strong as other poison dart frogs, the poison can pack a punch should it enter your bloodstream, something like a terrible flu and you never want to get this toxin in your eyes (more reason not to touch them!).
As the male protects his female, chattering away to ensure his territory is free of competitors, there are instances when another male is determined to take over the female and the location and that’s when the males get into a scuffle, each trying to bodyslam the other..I like to tell folks to picture two gummy bears in a serious fight. Since they have no nails, they can only work to pin the other, finally determining the winner as the loser leaves the scene. Quite the drama!
To learn more see my article in The Bocas Breeze newspaper or check out my website blog post with more interesting info on this spectacular little species
Thanks to Ponci’s Gate to Gaia for allowing me to visit their magical nature refuge of a lodge.
Message me for tours to see how many of the different color morphs we can find throughout the archipelago! Whatsapp +1 240-672-7363
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