Mimic poison frog

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Mimic poison frog
R. imitator Chazuta.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Dendrobatidae
Genus: Ranitomeya
Species:
R. imitator
Binomial name
Ranitomeya imitator
(Schulte, 1986)
Synonyms

Dendrobates imitatorSchulte, 1986

Ranitomeya imitator (formerly Dendrobates imitator), is a species of poison dart frog found in the north-central region of eastern Peru. Its common names include mimic poison frog and poison arrow frog, [2] [3] and it is one of the best known dart frogs. [4] It was discovered in the late 1980s by Rainer Schulte who later split it up into more subspecies; describing each as a specific color morph, and sometimes having a separate behavioral pattern. The acoustics, morphs, and behavior of the species have been extensively researched. [4]

Contents

Habitat

This frog has been found in primary and old-growth secondary rainforests between 200 and 1200 meters above sea level. This frog is diurnal, with two periods of activity, one early in the day and one later. [1]

The male frogs are territorial, and will attack other males that enter their range. Generally, the frog chooses one good plant to retreat to and works from there. Mated pairs have closely overlapping ranges. [5]

Diet

These frogs eat ants, mites, and other invertebrates, such as flies, beetles, and springtails. [5]

Color morphology

Captive bred R. imitator 'Chazuta' Ranitomeya imitator 'Chazuta'.jpg
Captive bred R. imitator 'Chazuta'

Among different populations of R. imitator, different color morphs are present to mimic other poison frog species. There are four color morphs among R. imitator populations that mimic closely related sympatric (existing in the same area) species: varadero ( R. fantastica ), striped (lowland R. variabilis), spotted (highland R. variabilis), and banded (R. summersi). [6] The geographic distribution of these morphs primarily includes geographically isolated populations in different areas of Peru, however there are a number of "transition zones" between populations where different color morphs interact. [7] The striped morph is the most widely spread, mimicking the striped Ranitomeya variabilis and can be found throughout the lower Huallaga River drainage in Peru. [8] The spotted morph mimics the highland spotted frog Ranitomeya variabilis with mainly blue-green coloration, but can be found in other forms, sometimes in yellow. [8] Although R. imitator closely resembles R. variabilis in coloration with its striped morph, the two species differ in many key aspects. R. imitator provides biparental care and is a monogamous species, while R. variabilis provides solely paternal care and is polygamous. [9] The aradero morph is a lowland form that lives nearby another but does not resemble it. [8] Last, the banded morph, a mimic of Ranitomeya summersi , lives in much drier climates than the average R. imitator and is most often found in Dieffenbachia and Heliconia plants. [8]

Interactions between different morphs

While populations of different color morphs are concentrated in different areas of Peru, there are transition zones between populations where different color morphs may interact. [7] These transition zones have been particular areas of interest to study reproductive isolation and incipient speciation, and recent research suggests that color pattern is likely a driving factor in reproductive isolation, as some transition zones show evidence of assortative mating, where individuals of one morph prefer to mate with others of the same morph. [6] [7] Mating calls by males are an important factor in mating, and often need to be distinct in order to attract females of the same species. In R. imitator, male calls vary little among different color morphs, however it has been suggested that color pattern is the principal component that drives speciation. [10] [11]

Toxicity

Like most other Ranitomeya species, R. imitator has a mild toxicity compared to other poison dart frogs. It produces the potent pumiliotoxin B, but its small size limits the amount of poison it can secrete. Like other poison dart frogs, it does not produce toxin in captivity. It probably gains its poison from consuming toxic insects or other invertebrates in the wild. Frogs of the related genus Phyllobates may derive their toxins from local melyrid beetles of genus Choresine . [12]

Reproduction and parental care

Ranitomeya imitator's developmental life stages. Ranitomeya imitator Varadero - Mattias Starkenberg.jpg
Ranitomeya imitator's developmental life stages.

The reproductive and parental care behaviors exhibited by this species have been of great interest to a variety of researchers, namely because R. imitator is the first amphibian to show evidence of monogamy, and because it independently evolved biparental care. [13] Further, the occurrence of both of these factors supports the hypothesis that biparental care favors the evolution of monogamy, for which evidence has previously been restricted to other groups of vertebrates. [14] The parental care provided to R. imitator offspring has been demonstrated to be vital for offspring growth and success. [14]

Courtship and oviposition

To attract mates, males will initiate calls while approaching a female. If the female is receptive to the male's courtship, she will follow him to an oviposition site where they will mate. She will then deposit fertilized eggs on a plant to allow them to develop. [7] [13] The number of tadpoles that successfully hatch and make it to their breeding pool is relatively small, where one study observed a range of 1-4 tadpoles per mated pair. [14]

Male parental care

After mating occurs, the male will guard the fertilized eggs. Upon hatching, the male will transport individual tadpoles to their own respective phytotelma, which are small pools of water within plants. [15] Additionally, the male will strategically place tadpoles in certain rearing sites, specifically avoiding predators. [16] After tadpoles are in their rearing sites, the male will call while next to tadpoles which signals to the mother to feed an individual. [13] Tadpole begging, a behavior in which tadpoles vibrate their body, also encourages the mother to provide trophic (eggs specifically for nutrition) eggs. [17]

Female parental care

Female parental care is provided in the form of trophic egg feeding to offspring. After mating, the female will have a surplus of unfertilized eggs, which she provisions to offspring as food that aids in offspring growth and development. [14] This form of biparental care is not uncommon in poison frogs. Researchers have found that poison frogs that use phytotelma to rear offspring are more likely to exhibit egg-feeding parental care, and that this combination favors the evolution of biparental care in these species. [13] The hormonal regulation of parental care in this species remains somewhat unknown. [18]

Threats

Compared to many other dart frog species, Ranitomeya imitator has relatively large and stable wild populations. What threat it faces comes from habitat loss associated with farming, livestock cultivation, and logging. People also illegally collect and export this frog for the international pet trade. [1] [19] They have also been imported legally, and multiple captive-bred varieties exist in the pet trade.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poison dart frog</span> Family of amphibians

Poison dart frog is the common name of a group of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central and South America. These species are diurnal and often have brightly colored bodies. This bright coloration is correlated with the toxicity of the species, making them aposematic. Some species of the family Dendrobatidae exhibit extremely bright coloration along with high toxicity — a feature derived from their diet of ants, mites and termites— while species which eat a much larger variety of prey have cryptic coloration with minimal to no amount of observed toxicity. Many species of this family are threatened due to human infrastructure encroaching on their habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue poison dart frog</span> Species of amphibian

The blue poison dart frog or blue poison arrow frog is a poison dart frog found in the "forest islands" surrounded by the Sipaliwini Savanna in southern Suriname and northern Pará (Brazil). Its indigenous Tirio name is okopipi. The name "azureus" comes from its azure blue color. While first described as a valid species and usually recognized as such in the past, recent authorities generally treat it as a morph of D. tinctorius, although a few treat it as a subspecies of D. tinctorius or continue to treat it as its own species. To what extent it differs from the blue D. tinctorius in southern Guyana, adjacent Pará (Brazil) and possibly far southwestern Suriname, is also a matter of dispute, and many herpetologists, as well as many people keeping poison dart frogs in captivity, have not distinguished these, with all commonly being identified as azureus.

Parent–offspring conflict (POC) is an expression coined in 1974 by Robert Trivers. It is used to describe the evolutionary conflict arising from differences in optimal parental investment (PI) in an offspring from the standpoint of the parent and the offspring. PI is any investment by the parent in an individual offspring that decreases the parent's ability to invest in other offspring, while the selected offspring's chance of surviving increases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strawberry poison-dart frog</span> Species of amphibian

The strawberry poison frog, strawberry poison-dart frog or blue jeans poison frog is a species of small poison dart frog found in Central America. It is common throughout its range, which extends from eastern central Nicaragua through Costa Rica and northwestern Panamá. The species is often found in humid lowlands and premontane forest, but large populations are also found in disturbed areas such as plantations. The strawberry poison frog is perhaps most famous for its widespread variation in coloration, comprising approximately 15–30 color morphs, most of which are presumed to be true-breeding. O. pumilio, while not the most poisonous of the dendrobatids, is the most toxic member of its genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dyeing poison dart frog</span> Species of amphibian

The dyeing poison dart frog, also known as the cobalt poison frog, tinc, or dyeing poison frog, is a species of poison dart frog. It is among the most variably colored and largest species of poison dart frogs, typically reaching snout–vent lengths of about 50 mm (2.0 in). It is distributed in the eastern portion of the Guiana Shield, including parts of French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green and black poison dart frog</span> Species of amphibian

The green-and-black poison dart frog, also known as the green-and-black poison arrow frog and green poison frog, is a brightly-colored member of the order Anura native to southern Central America and Colombia. This species has also been introduced to Oahu, Hawaii in an effort to lower mosquito numbers. It is one of the most variably colored species of poison dart frogs, after D. tinctorius, Adelphobates galactonotus and some Oophaga species. From a conservation standpoint, it is considered to be of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Within the reptile and amphibian hobby, D. auratus remains one of the most commonly kept, and easiest-to-breed, dart frogs in captivity, as well as in zoos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden poison frog</span> Species of amphibian

The golden poison frog, also known as the golden dart frog or golden poison arrow frog, is a poison dart frog endemic to the rainforests of Colombia. The golden poison frog has become endangered due to habitat destruction within its naturally limited range. Despite its small size, this frog is considered to be the most poisonous extant animal species on the planet.

<i>Dendrobates</i> Genus of amphibians

Dendrobates is a genus of poison dart frogs native to Central and South America. It once contained numerous species, but most originally placed in this genus have been split off into other genera such as Adelphobates, Ameerega, Andinobates, Epipedobates, Excidobates, Oophaga, Phyllobates and Ranitomeya, leaving only five large to medium-sized species in the genus Dendrobates. All the other genera used to be grouped in with Dendrobates because it was previously thought that all brightly colored poison dart frogs came from the same ancestor but this has since been proven to be incorrect. Dendrobates and Phyllobates evolved conspicuous coloration from the same common ancestor but not the same as any of the other genera listed above.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parental care</span> Behavior in animals of taking care of offspring

Parental care is a behavioural and evolutionary strategy adopted by some animals, involving a parental investment being made to the evolutionary fitness of offspring. Patterns of parental care are widespread and highly diverse across the animal kingdom. There is great variation in different animal groups in terms of how parents care for offspring, and the amount of resources invested by parents. For example, there may be considerable variation in the amount of care invested by each sex, where females may invest more in some species, males invest more in others, or investment may be shared equally. Numerous hypotheses have been proposed to describe this variation and patterns in parental care that exist between the sexes, as well as among species.

<i>Oophaga sylvatica</i> Species of amphibian

Oophaga sylvatica, sometimes known as its Spanish name diablito, is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae found in Southwestern Colombia and Northwestern Ecuador. Its natural habitat is lowland and submontane rainforest; it can, however, survive in moderately degraded areas, at least in the more humid parts of its range. It is a very common frog in Colombia, but has disappeared from much of its Ecuadorian range. It is threatened by habitat loss (deforestation) and agricultural pollution and sometimes seen in the international pet trade.

<i>Ranitomeya vanzolinii</i> Species of frog

Ranitomeya vanzolinii, also known as the Brazilian poison frog or spotted poison frog, is a species of frog in the Ranitomeya genus, from the poison dart frog family, Dendrobatidae. It is found in the Amazonian rainforests of Brazil and Perú, and possibly Bolivia.

<i>Ranitomeya</i> Genus of amphibians

Ranitomeya is a genus of dart poison frogs found in Panama and South America south to Peru and Brazil, possibly into Bolivia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazonian poison frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Amazonian poison frog, known in French as dendrobate à ventre tacheté, is a species of poison dart frog. It is native to South America, where it can be found in Brazil, southeastern Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, and Peru.

<i>Ranitomeya amazonica</i> Species of amphibian

Ranitomeya amazonica is a poison dart frog in the genus Ranitomeya. It was first described by Rainer Schulte in 1999 as Dendrobates amazonicus when he separated it from Dendrobates ventrimaculatus, primarily on the basis of call characteristics. The validity of the species has been debated, but further studies, also including genetic data, support its validity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-backed poison frog</span> Species of amphibian

The red-backed poison frog is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is an arboreal insectivorous species, and is the second-most poisonous species in the genus, after R. variabilis. Like many species of small, poisonous frogs native to South America, it is grouped with the poison dart frogs, and is a moderately toxic species, containing poison capable of causing serious injury to humans, and death in animals such as chickens. R. reticulata is native to the Amazon rainforest in Peru and Ecuador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zimmerman's poison frog</span> Species of amphibian

Ranitomeya variabilis, formerly known as Dendrodates variabilis, is a species of small poison dart frog distributed in northern Peru, along the eastern slope of Andes in the upper Rio Huallaga drainage basin. Its common name, Zimmerman's poison frog, is named after Elke Zimmermann, a German zoologist who described the morph of this species and differentiated it from D. ventrimaculatus. The species was formerly considered to be synonymous with Ranitomeya ventrimaculata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dendrobatinae</span> Subfamily of amphibians

Dendrobatinae is the main subfamily of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae, the poison dart frogs of Central and South America, found from Nicaragua to the Amazon basin in Brazil.

<i>Anomaloglossus kaiei</i> Species of amphibian

Anomaloglossus kaiei is a species of frogs in the family Aromobatidae, commonly known as the Kaie rock frog. It was named in honor of Kaie, a great Chieftain of the Patamona tribe, who sacrificed himself to the Great Spirit Makonaima by canoeing over the Kaieteur falls in order to save his own people. It is endemic to Guyana where it is known from the Kaieteur National Park and the Pacaraima Mountains. However, as it is found along the Guyana–Brazil border, it is also possibly present in Brazil. This frog shows maternal care: female frogs can provide tadpoles with trophic eggs.

The Evolution of biparental care in tropical frogs is the evolution of the behaviour of a parental care system in frogs in which both the mother and father raise their offspring.

<i>Ranitomeya summersi</i> Species of amphibian

Ranitomeya summersi, sometimes referred to as Summers' poison frog, is a species of poison dart frogs found in the central Huallaga River drainage and adjacent Cordillera Azul National Park in central Peru. Before 2008, the species was considered a subspecies of Ranitomeya fantastica. The IUCN considers it an endangered species because of limited habitat range, habitat loss, and collection for the pet trade.

References

  1. 1 2 3 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020) [amended version of 2014 assessment]. "Mimic Poison Frog: Ranitomeya imitator". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T56378936A177121453. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T56378936A177121453.en . Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  2. ↑ East Carolina University. March 12, 2010. Biologists find proof of first confirmed species of monogamous frog. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  3. ↑ Sherratt, T. (2008). "The Evolution of Müllerian Mimicry". Die Naturwissenschaften. 95 (8): 681–695. Bibcode:2008NW.....95..681S. doi:10.1007/s00114-008-0403-y. PMC   2443389 . PMID   18542902.
  4. 1 2 J.L. Brown, E. Twomey (2011). “ZOOTAXA: A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical poison frog genus Ranitomeya (Amphibia: Dendrobatidae)” Magnolia Press pp. 68-72. In Schulte, Rainer (1989). “Eine Neue Dendrobates- Art aus Ostperu (Amphibia: Salentia: Dendrobatidae) pp. 11-21
  5. 1 2 Kellie Whittaker; Peera Chantasirivisal (November 14, 2005). Kellie Whittaker; Brent Nguyen; Ann T. Chang; Michelle S. Koo (eds.). "Ranitomeya imitator (Schulte, 1986)". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Twomey, Evan; Vestergaard, Jacob S.; Summers, Kyle (2014-08-27). "Reproductive isolation related to mimetic divergence in the poison frog Ranitomeya imitator". Nature Communications. 5 (1): 4749. doi: 10.1038/ncomms5749 . ISSN   2041-1723. PMID   25158807.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Twomey, Evan; Vestergaard, Jacob S.; Venegas, Pablo J.; Summers, Kyle (February 2016). "Mimetic Divergence and the Speciation Continuum in the Mimic Poison Frog Ranitomeya imitator". The American Naturalist. 187 (2): 205–224. doi:10.1086/684439. ISSN   0003-0147. PMID   26807748.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Ranitomeya imitator”. dendrobates.org. In Schulte, Rainer (1989). “Eine Neue Dendrobates- Art aus Ostperu (Amphibia: Salentia: Dendrobatidae) Sauria 8(3): 11-20.
  9. ↑ Brown, J. L.; et al. (2010). "A key ecological trait drove the evolution of biparental care and monogamy in an amphibian" (PDF). The American Naturalist. 175 (4): 436–46. doi:10.1086/650727. PMID   20180700. S2CID   20270737.
  10. ↑ Twomey, Evan; Mayer, Michael; Summers, Kyle (December 2015). "Intraspecific Call Variation in the Mimic Poison Frog Ranitomeya imitator". Herpetologica. 71 (4): 252–259. doi:10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-15-00004. ISSN   0018-0831.
  11. ↑ Twomey, Evan; Kain, Morgan; Claeys, Myriam; Summers, Kyle; Castroviejo-Fisher, Santiago; Van Bocxlaer, Ines (May 2020). "Mechanisms for Color Convergence in a Mimetic Radiation of Poison Frogs". The American Naturalist. 195 (5): E132–E149. doi:10.1086/708157. hdl: 1854/LU-8771257 . ISSN   0003-0147. PMID   32364784.
  12. ↑ Dumbacher, J. P.; et al. (2004). "Melyrid beetles (Choresine): A putative source for the batrachotoxin alkaloids found in poison-dart frogs and toxic passerine birds". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 101 (45): 15857–60. Bibcode:2004PNAS..10115857D. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0407197101 . PMC   528779 . PMID   15520388.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Jason L.; Morales, Victor; Summers, Kyle (April 2010). "A Key Ecological Trait Drove the Evolution of Biparental Care and Monogamy in an Amphibian". The American Naturalist. 175 (4): 436–446. doi:10.1086/650727. ISSN   0003-0147. PMID   20180700.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Tumulty, James; Morales, Victor; Summers, Kyle (2014). "The biparental care hypothesis for the evolution of monogamy: experimental evidence in an amphibian". Behavioral Ecology. 25 (2): 262–270. doi: 10.1093/beheco/art116 . ISSN   1465-7279.
  15. ↑ Summers, Kyle; Brown, Jason; Morales, Victor; Twomey, Evan (2008). "Phytotelm size in relation to parental care and mating strategies in two species of Peruvian poison frogs". Behaviour. 145 (9): 1139–1165. doi:10.1163/156853908785387647. ISSN   0005-7959.
  16. ↑ Brown, J. L.; Morales, V.; Summers, K. (November 2008). "Divergence in parental care, habitat selection and larval life history between two species of Peruvian poison frogs: an experimental analysis". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 21 (6): 1534–1543. doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01609.x. PMID   18811668.
  17. ↑ Yoshioka, M.; Meeks, C.; Summers, K. (March 2016). "Evidence for begging as an honest signal of offspring need in the biparental mimic poison frog". Animal Behaviour. 113: 1–11. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.12.024.
  18. ↑ Schulte, Lisa M.; Summers, Kyle (May 2017). "Searching for hormonal facilitators: Are vasotocin and mesotocin involved in parental care behaviors in poison frogs?". Physiology & Behavior. 174: 74–82. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.03.005.
  19. ↑ “Clare, John (July 30, 2011). “Imitating Dart Frog, Ranitomeya imitator/Dendrobates imitator (Schulte, 1986) - Care and Breeding”. frogforum.net
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