Why is it called the "dyeing" poison frog?

Its species name tinctorius means "for dyeing," reflecting an indigenous tradition of using its skin toxin to alter the color of green parrot feathers.

Do dyeing poison frogs care for their young?

Yes. After eggs laid under leaf litter hatch, a parent carries the tadpoles on its back to a nearby water source where they can continue developing.

Dyeing Poison Frogアイゾメヤドクガエル

Dendrobates tinctoriusLC— Least Concern

The dyeing poison frog is one of the largest species in the poison dart frog family, native to primary rainforest of the eastern Guiana Shield in South America. Its bold black-and-yellow or blue patterning warns predators of skin toxins that, notably, are not self-produced but sequestered from a diet rich in alkaloid-containing ants and mites—meaning captive-bred frogs raised on standard feeder insects lose their toxicity entirely. Parents carry newly hatched tadpoles on their backs to water, and the species' name references an indigenous tradition of using its toxin to alter the color of parrot feathers.

Dyeing Poison Frog (reference photo) — Photo: H. Zell / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Anura / Dendrobatidae Source
Size: Body length up to 5 cm, among the largest in the genus Dendrobates; may reach 6 cm in captivity
Diet: Insectivore Carnivorous, preying mainly on ants and also on small arthropods such as mites; the alkaloid toxins stored in its skin are derived from this diet
Activity: Strongly terrestrial, spending most of its time on the ground where prey is easy to catch, though it sometimes climbs trees
Distribution: Found across the eastern Guiana Shield in French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and northern Brazil, inhabiting primary tropical rainforest. Source
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

Its species name tinctorius means "for dyeing," referencing an indigenous tradition of using the frog's toxin to change the color of green parrot feathers. Source
The toxin is not self-produced but sequestered from a diet of alkaloid-containing ants and mites, which is why captive-bred individuals raised on standard feeder insects lose their toxicity entirely. Source
Females lay clutches of 8 to 10 eggs under leaf litter, and once hatched, a parent carries the tadpoles on its back to a suitable water source. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 1

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensAichiOpened in 1937

Source

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

Least Concern (LC)

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

Is the dyeing poison frog dangerous to touch?: Wild individuals carry toxic alkaloids in their skin that can cause numbness and other symptoms on contact, but captive-bred frogs raised on standard feeder insects lose this toxicity because the toxin comes entirely from their wild diet rather than being self-produced. Source
Why is it called the "dyeing" poison frog?: Its species name tinctorius means "for dyeing," reflecting an indigenous tradition of using its skin toxin to alter the color of green parrot feathers. Source
Do dyeing poison frogs care for their young?: Yes. After eggs laid under leaf litter hatch, a parent carries the tadpoles on its back to a nearby water source where they can continue developing. Source
How many operating facilities are registered here?: Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 1 Source

Books & gear

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org