Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates pumilio), National Park Tortuguero, Costa Rica
The Strawberry poison dart frog, a remarkable species native to tropical rain forests of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Although their eggs are laid among the leaves, the newly hatched larvae are carried on the backs of the parents to a pool of water or water-filled bromeliad. D. pumilio is especially remarkable because the female parent attends her developing tadpoles by providing them with nutritive, unfertilized eggs. The bright coloration of these frogs is considered by some biologists to be an example of "warning coloration" (aposematic coloration), where would-be predators avoid the frogs because of their bitter, toxic, alkaloid secretions. This avoidance behavior is especially true if the predator has had a previous unpleasant encounter with these brightly colored frogs.
Year: 2012
From album: Costa Rica - Model for Linking Tourism & Conservation
Photographer: Peter Prokosch